The Rifter 50

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Chaos EarthTM Psychics Official Rules for the Rifts® Chaos Earth™ RPG By Jason Richards Introduction to the Psychic Storm™ As this is only a prelude, a forward if you will, to an upcoming sourcebook for Chaos Earth, I will be brief. While there is a great deal that could be said about how and why the Great Cataclysm triggered a rediscovery of the depth of potential available within the human psyche, the fact comes down to this: The human mind's potential for power is limitless. With little more than a thought, some gifted individuals can see beyond human sight, bend the laws of physics and even tear at a man's very sanity from within his own mind. The idea that this power existed was a concept only loosely examined by modem science, even at the height of the Golden Age. The Coming of the Rifts would soon bring the subject out of the laboratory and thrust it onto the public. As it stands, the emergence of the reality of psychic power has come as a shock to most survivors in Chaos Earth™. Reactions to its presence and use vary greatly from one situation to the next. Some people are envied for their gifts, while others are burned as witches. The somewhat uncomfortable position of General Sawyer's NEMA command in Chicago is that citizens are ~iscouraged from actively seeking out their own psychic potentml, but that humans exhibiting natural mental powers are not to be viewed as a threat by the public. As with practitioners of magic, any person using psychic powers to influence, harm or intimidate others is dealt with swiftly and severely. NEMA is aware, at the highest levels, that even the limited exploitation of such powers by even a few is a recipe for disaster the likes of which could permanently destroy what little order has so far been established. So, it's with little understanding or guidance that humanity moves forward, dealing with psychics and their powers as best it can, hoping that more good comes from it than eviL The Effects of the Blue Zones Most psychics quickly realize that the mysterious Blue Zones somehow influence their abilities. Most also recognize, unlike the earliest practitioners of magic, that their powers are not tied to these areas and their strange energies. Personal feelings about Blue Zones vary amongst psychics, with some feeling more comfortable near their influence, and others preferring to keep them at arm's length. Some psychics, especially those whose innate abilities make them particularly sensitive to magical energy, may even [md that they are physically uncomfortable around Blue Zones, complaining of mild headaches dizziness and other discomforts. ' Proximity to a Blue Zone and related phenomena impart the follo:ving bonuses to all psychics, unless stated differently in a speCIfic O.C.c. or power description: Duratiou and range of all psychic powers are increased by 50% when within one mile (1.6 km) of a Blue Zone, and are doubled when within a Blue Zone or at an Epicenter. So, within one mile (1.6 km) of a Blue Zone, an ability with a range of 100 feet (30 m) sees that range increased to ISO feet (4S.7 m), an ability with a radial effect of 20 feet (6 m) sees the area of effect extend to a 30 foot (9 m) radius, and an ability with a duration of 2D4 melee rounds sees that duration extended to 3D4 melees. Within a Blue Zone or at an Epicenter, the range, radius and duration of those same powers would be increased to 200 feet (60 m), 40 feet (12 m) and 4D4 melee rounds, respectively. Damage from a psionic attack is increased by one die when within a Blue Zone, or by two dice when at an Epicenter. This means that a power normally doing 6D6 S.D.C. damage is increased to 7D6 S.D.C. within a Blue Zone and to 8D6 S.D.C. at an Epicenter. Likewise, a power doing 3D6 M.D. would be increased to 4D6 M.D. within a Blue Zone and to SD6 M.D. at an Epicenter. A power doing 2D4xIO M.D. would be increased to 3D4xIO M.D. within a Blue Zone and to 4D4xIO M.D. at an Epicenter. Minor Psychics By far the most common types of psychics are what are commonly known as Minor Psychics. These are individuals with some psychic ability who either have very little potential, or else simply haven't made an effort to develop their natural talents into anything more significant than a very few relatively unimpressive abilities. Still, any advantage is something to be valued in Chaos Earth, and even a couple of natural powers might be the difference between life and death in the new wasteland that is most of North America, and the rest of the world. Barring the player selecting a character class that automatically has access to psychic powers, psionic potential is determined in Step 4 of the character creation process as detailed on page 105 of the Chaos Earth™ RPG. Minor Psychics as noted in this section may select three powers from anyone of the psionic categories: Sensitive, Physical or Healer. These powers are detailed in the Rifts® RPG and its sourcebooks, as well as m~st other games published by Palladium Books. A Minor Psychic has base Inner Strength Points (I.S.P.) equal to the character's M.E. +2D6, plus ID6 per level of experience. Some people with psychic potential never actively seek to develop their abilities, and may even have a hard time believing such things to be possible. Such people may see their minor psionic abilities manifest subtly as Latent Psionics instead of as typical powers. Latent Minor Psychics gain certain bonuses and modifiers that represent a deep, subconscious access to minor ?aranormal abilities that give the character advantages, dependmg on the nature of his or her psychic potential. Characters who are Minor Psychics may opt for these latent abilities rather than the traditional method of power selection detailed in the Chaos EarthRPG. Latent Minor Psionics Base I.S.P.: M.E. + ID4, plus ID4 per level of experience. I.S.P. Cost: None. All bonuses and advantages listed for each category are permanent, without the willful expenditure ofLS.P. 51

Players may randomly roll, or may select a Latent Minor ability as allowed by the Game Master; 01-20% Latent ESP. This latent psychic ability gives the character an innate sense of the paranormal and things normally hidden from human perception. +2 save vs illusions. +3 on Perception Rolls involving the supernatural. +5% on skills dealing in the paranormal, such as Astrology, Lore: Demons & Monsters and Lore: Psychics & Psionics. The character suffers a mild headache, dizziness or some other minor physical symptom when in the vicinity of the supernatural. The psychic is -Ion all combat rolls and -5% on all skills when within a Blue Zone or else within 100 feet (30 m) of a greater supematural presence such as a dragon, god, Greater Demon or any Creature of Magic. 21-40% Latent Healing. The character's psychic potential is subconsciously directed toward the healing of his or her own body. The character tends to be healthier than most others and recovers more quickly from sickness or injury. +2 save vs disease and toxin. +1 save vs poison. +5% save vs coma/death. + ID6 Hit Points. Hit Points recover 50% faster than normal for both professional and non-professional treatment. 41-60% Latent Projection. This latent psychic ability manifests as a subtle influence over others. This influence ean be intimidation, trustworthiness, infatuation or any other emotional response. +10% to trust/intimidate or a base skill of20%. +5% to any skill or situation where emotion or a strong personal presence may influence the outcome. This includes, but is not limited to: Performance, Public Speaking, Dance, Sing, Impersonation, Interrogation Techniques, Undercover Ops and Seduction. 61-80% Latent Sense. The character's latent psychic potential heightens his or her perception of the physical world, making him or her particularly observant, with an uncarmy awareness ofthings missed by most. +2 on Perception Rolls. + I on initiative. +5% to any other skill or situation where a keen eye and uncanny skills of observation might be of benefit. This includes, but is not limited to: Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Tracking, Recognize Weapon Quality, Trap/Mine Detection, I.D. Undercover Agents, Tailing, Appraise Antiques, Dowsing, Identify Plants & Fruits, Land Navigation and Track & Hunt Animals. 81-00% Latent Teke. The character's psychic ability has manifested in a seemingly physical manner. What seems to be somewhat unusual physical strength is, in fact, the effect of the force of will on his or her physical feats. Increase maximum lifting and carrying weight by 10%. Increase throwing distance by 10%. Add +2 S.D.Co damage to any physical attack such as a punch, kick, body block or use of a handheld or thrown melee weapon. Major Psychics Major Psychics have considerably more natural psychic ability than do Minor Psychics, either as pure innate talent or because more time and effort were spent in developing what natural ability was there. Power selection for Major Psychics generally consists of selecting a number of powers from a field of possibilities. These powers will be addressed in the upcoming sourcebook, Psychic Storm™, but in the meantime, powers from the Rifts® RPG or other Palladium Books games may be substituted. Select nine powers from anyone of the basic categories of Sensitive, Physicalor Healer, or seven powers from amongst two or three of the categories. Major Psychics have a Base LS.P. of M.E. +4D6, + ID6+ 1 per level of experience. Alternately, a player may opt to select two of the latent psionic abilities listed above. In this case, Base LS.P. is the same as for the Latent Minor Psychic. Master Psychics Master Psychics are the ultimate in raw psychic talent, with psionic abilities of staggering power. They can command paranormal forces with a thought, giving them the ability to transport matter from one place to another, read and control minds, create physical constructs from the ether and miraculously heal those even at the brink of death. They are both fearsome and awesome to the average human survivor of the cataclysm, something to be kept at an arm's length, but turned to when needed. In the end, while they are not as universally shunned as are practitioners of magic, they are perhaps even more feared. How can you really trust someone who might be listening in on your most private thoughts? What most Master Psychics lack, at least in the early days after the Great Cataclysm, is control. It takes a degree of dedication to harness enough of one's own potential to become a Master Psychic, and even those who achieve some level of mastery are able to command their power by only the slimmest of margins. This constant struggle to discipline the mind in the face of these new abilities means abandoning old positions in life and focusing solely on mastering these powers, so new, and still such a mystery. This leads us to the various psychic Occupational Character Classes (O.c.c.s). Psychic O.C.C.s Psychic character classes cover a wide array of typical manifestations of psychic power. While every one is different, the manner in which psionics are used fit into a relatively few categories, especially in the early days after the Coming of the Rifts, when most psychics are walking bodies of barely-controlled psionic energy. 52

For these early psychics, most of the time their powers take Mathematics: Basic (+ 1 0%) the form of a few natural abilities rather than conforming to a Pilot: Automobile (+5%) or Hover Craft: Ground (+5%) or \\-ide array of psionic powers from the traditional categories. Motorcycle (+5%) Some psychics have little to no control over their new powers, Hand to Hand Combat: None. Any combat skill must be and others use them simply by instinct and trial and error more learned as an O.C.C. Related or Secondary SkilL so than mental discipline. Professional Skills: The people of Chaos Earth were members Adding a Psychic O.C.C. to an existing character Any psychic character in Chaos Earth likely had a life and career before the Great Cataclysm. At the discretion of the Game Master, a psychic player character may start as another O.C.c. prior to discovering these powers. Upon discovering his or her Master Psychic powers and thus taking on a Psychic O.C.c., take the following steps: Step 1. Select half (round up) of the existing O.C.C. Skills and freeze them. These skills will no longer advance, but they may still be used. Continue to advance the remaining O.C.c. Skills as normal. Step 2. Select half (round up) of the existing M.O.S. Skills (if applicable) and freeze them. These skills will no longer advance, but they may still be used. Continue to advance any remaining M.O.S. Skills as normal. Step 3. For future advancement, take only half (round down) of new O.C.C. Related Skills (e.g. a 4th level character scheduled to receive additional O.C.c. Related Skills at levels 5, 8, 11 and 15 would only receive new skills at levels 8 and 15). These skills are selected from and receive bonuses per the list provided for the relevant Psychic O.C.C., not the original character class. Step 4. For future advancement, take only half (round down) of new Secondary Skills (e.g. a 4th level character scheduled to receive additional Secondary Skills at levels 7, 11 and 15 would only receive a new skill at level II). Step 5. The character keeps his or her current experience points and level of experience, but from this point on uses the relevant Psychic O.C.C.'s experience table. All psychic powers and class abilities start at level one proficiency. Starting with a Psychic O.C.C. from scratch Some characters were just coming of age as the Great Cataclysm struck, or else were in a job or profession that didn't constitute a full-blown character class unique to just one occupation. In such cases, simply start out the character at first level of experience and use the following set of skills and stats for all Psychic O.C.C.s. Psychic O.C.C. Skills and Stats Attribute Requirements: None, but a high M.E. is very helpful. Starting S.D.C.: 2D6+12 O.C.C. Skills: These are basic, everyday skills known by people of virtually every profession. If a Professional Skill duplicates one of the below, use the higher of the two bonuses; do not combine them. Language: Native Language: Foreign Literacy: Native Language Computer Operation (+10%) of an advanced civilization and culture before the ley lines erupted and Armageddon ensued. Consequently, most are highly educated, with a high school education and some college or trade school type training for most adults. As a result, pick one Skill Category in which the character is a "skilled professional" and choose from it three skills, with each getting a +20% bonus. These Professional Skills may be taken from the full skill list, and are not subject to the limits of O.C.C. Related or Secondary Skills. O.C.c. Related Skills: Select five skills from any of the available categories listed below. Add one additional skill at levels 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14. All new skills start at level one proficiency. O.C.c. Related Skills are typically supportive or in some way tangential to the character's profession, or else are skills in which the character has some type of formal study. This list contains only the skills most commonly practiced by ordinary people during the Golden Age; other, more advanced or rarer skills are typically Professional Skills. As the character progresses after the Coming of the Rifts, skills other than those included below may become available as O.C.C. Related or Secondary Skills for the average surviCommunications: ergy vor (such Pistol). as Excavation Performance, & Rescue, Public Lore: Speaking, Magic or Radio: WP. EnBasic, Sign Language and T.V.Nideo only (+5%). Domestic: Dance, Play Musical Instrument, Sing and Ward­ robe & Grooming only (+5%). Electrical: Basic Electronics and Computer Repair only (+5%). Espionage: None. Horsemanship: General only. Mechanical: Aircraft Mechanics, Automotive Mechanics and Basic Mechanics only (+5%). Medical: Animal Husbandry and First Aid only. Military: None. Physical: Hand to Hand: Basic, Aerobic Athletics, Athletics: General, Body Building & Weight Lifting, Climbing, Run­ ning, Swimming and S.C.U.B.A. only. Pilot: Automobile, Boat: Motor & Hydrofoil, Boat: Sail Types, Hover Craft: Ground, Motorcycle and Water Scooters only. Pilot Related: None. Rogue: Gambling: Standard, Gambling: Dirty Tricks and Se­ duction only. Science: Chemistry and Mathematics: Advanced only (+10%). Technical: Appraise Antiques, Art, Breed Dogs, Business & Finance: Basic, Computer Programming, History, Language, Law: General, Literacy, Literature, Lore: Cattle & Animals, Lore: Indians, Lore: Mythology, Lore: Religion, Photogra53

phy, Politics, Professional Certification, Research, Sports, Technical Writing and Writing only (+10%). W.P.: W.P. Archery & Targeting, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Knife, W.P. Revolver, W.P. Automatic Pistol and W.P. Bolt-Action Rifle only. Wilderness: None. Secondary SkiDs: The character also gets four Secondary Skills at first level of experience, plus one at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus listed in parentheses. All new skills start at level one proficiency. Standard Equipment: Other than the clothes on his or her back, standard equipment could be anything. Those traveling or at work when the Apocalypse struck may have nothing but what they were carrying in their pockets. Those at home might have access to a lot of clothes and some basic amenities, at least at first. On the first day of the cataclysm, a good portion of common people had access to a hover craft (though many used public transportation), or occasionally a car or a motorcycle, and most had ID6 changes of clothes, a warm coat or jacket, a handheld computer/communication device and very little else of use. Game Masters and players should work together to determine what is or is not reasonable, based on the character. Money: At the time of the Great Cataclysm, the resources of the common person varied greatly. On average, a working adult had roughly ID20x50 credits in currency on-hand when the Great Cataclysm began. He or she would also have ID20x500 credits readily available in a financial institution, hough that is not likely accessible. With credits rapidly de ­ valuing in most of North America, the average citizen has next to nothing in terms of currency, and likely only ID6x50 credits worth of tradable goods. Cybernetics and Bionics: None under normal circumstances. Some people with medical problems ranging from arthritis to organ failure might have a few cybernetic systems, but never augmentations; the cybernetics just replaced the basic function of a natural organ or bodily system. Additional Notes Old Dogs, New Tricks. Characters that have achieved the 5th level of experience or higher in a full, specific O.C.C. other than the Civilian O.c.c. (as found in the upcoming First Responders sourcebook) or the generic Psychic O.C.C. (above) may develop Minor or Major Psionic powers, but may not change to a Psychic O.C.C. Switcheroo. It is highly unusual for a character with a Magic O.C.c. to take a Psychic O.c.c., but in that scenario, all abilities, bonuses and spell knowledge from the Magic O.C.C. are lost, forever. That Old Black Magic. At the Game Master's option, the rules given above for existing characters taking a Psychic O.C.C. may be applied to existing characters taking a Magic O.C.c. as well. See the sourcebook Chaos Earth™: Rise of Magic TM for more. Coming Soon. Full rules for switching character classes after the Coming of the Rifts are detailed in Chaos Earth™: First RespondersTM. Charismatic O.C.C. Many people use their natural charm, personality and demeanor to influence others. Over the centuries, the natural charisma of exceptional men and women has allowed entertainers to entrance us, leaders to inspire us and tyrants to subjugate us. A character of the Charismatic O.C.C. comes to discover that his or her power to influence and control people is beyond simple personality, but finds its roots deep within the psyche of every person. A Charismatic exerts a level ofpsychic influence over people that increases in potency with the effort expended. Even when making no attempt at all to be particularly charming or intimidating, people simply respond well to the character. He or she is very likable and tends to be the center of the social circle. When upset or angry, the Charismatic is intimidating to a level bordering on fearsome. lfthe psychic makes a conscious effort to push his or her will onto others, this influence becomes greater. With a few words the character can cheer up a heartbroken friend or plant the seed of fear in an opponent. Push this will further, and a Charismatic can influence another character's thoughts or even issue commands that others are compelled to obey. At the upper end of this ability, the psychic may even take physical control of another person, controlling the victim like a marionette on invisible mental strings. 54

Charismatics have awesome power at their disposal, in many ways limited only by a character's own scruples. Characters of good or even selfish aligmnents may find it difficult or even impossible to manipulate or command others, while evil characters are unlikely to have such compunctions. Special Charismatic O.C.C. Psychic Abilities Note: These powers differ in nature from those commonly available to other psychics and are exclusive to the Charismatic O.C.c. 1. Charisma. All characters with the Charismatic O.c.c. are naturally confident, likable and when they choose to be, intimidating. Add a bonus of +2D6 to the character's M.A. attribute, with a minimum total attribute of 17. The character is also +5 to save vs mind control and possession and + 1 0% to any skill or situation where emotion or a strong personal presence may influence the outcome. This includes, but is not limited to: Performance, Public Speaking, Dance, Sing, Impersonation, Interrogation Techniques, Undercover Ops and Seduction. All bonuses are permanent and automatic. The character's aura is also affected, making the character seem 1 D4 levels higher in experience than is actually the case. 2. Influence. With a few words and minimal mental exertion, the psychic can influence the state of mind of another person, or group of people. The psychic must use words to direct any potential victim, attempting to influence and not command or give orders. For example, the psychic would not simply state "You feel angry!" but would instead say something along the lines of, "That man at the bar just insulted you. Doesn't that make you angry?" If attempting to confuse, the psychic might ask the victim, "Wait, what were we doing? I don't remember." If properly phrased, the influence should go unnoticed or be easily dismissed if the victim successfully saves versus its effects. Range: 60 feet (I8 m), plus 10 feet (3 m) per level of experience for an individual target, or a 10 foot (3 m) radius, centered on the psychic, plus an additional 5 feet (1.5 m) per level of experience. Duration: If successful, the effects are felt for 3D4 minutes, plus ID4 minutes per level of experience. I.S.P. Cost: 4 for an individual, or 12 for a radial effect. Saving Throw: Standard, at a penalty of -2 to save. Types of Influence: Varies; any effect may be invoked, but once the influence takes hold it must run its course, unless another influence is used to curb it, in which case any victims attempt another save versus psionics. Anger. The target is enraged, becoming consumed with feelings of anger, fear and aggression. Victims are +2 on initiative and + 1 to strike, but -1 to parry and dodge. Victims are also likely to be impatient and easily frustrated, impairing abilities to rationalize, strategize and perform complex skills. Calm. Even if angry, upset, scared or otherwise emotionally compromised, the target becomes calm and relaxed, is relieved of any pressure or stress and is not easily rattled for the duration of the effects. Adds a bonus of +3 to save vs Horror Factor or other such situations when a calm mind is an asset, and reduce any skill penalties due to pressure situations by half. Confose. The victim becomes confused, disoriented and forgetful, fmding it hard to follow through with anything or to maintain concentration. Victims are -3 on all combat rolls and have no initiative, and are unable to perform all but the very simplest skills. Empathize. The psychic fosters feelings of trust and comfortability from the victim, who in turn is likely to trust and believe the character. Misunderstandings and conflicts are likely to be temporarily forgotten or forgiven. Add a bonus of+20% to Invoke Trust for the duration, and the character receives a + 1 0% bonus to skills influenced by trust and a personal emotional connection such as Performance, Interrogation Techniques and Seduction. Infatuate. The victim is influenced by feelings of love and/or devotion toward an object of the psychic's direction. This could be the psychic, himself, or another person, or even just the idea of another person. A victim is likely to cease hostility in favor of basking in his or her own feelings. The victim is somewhat distracted, suffering a penalty of -5% on all skills. Intimidate. The victim becomes afraid of the psychic and will shrink from personal or physical conflict. Those affected will only fight if given little other choice and even then are -3 on all combat rolls. For the duration, add a bonus of +20% to Intimidate and the character receives a + 1 0% bonus to skills and situations where an opponent's fear is of great advantage, such as Interrogation Techniques, Performance and Streetwise. Motivate. The target becomes fired up, eager and seeks to do the very best at everything for the duration, even if fatigued or otherwise previously uninterested. Add +1 on all combat rolls and +5% to the performance of all skills. Upset. The target is emotionally shaken to the point of despair. Embattled victims are likely to give up a fight, and if they continue are -2 on all combat rolls and -10% to perform skills. 3. Suggest. The psychic is able to make a suggestion to another person, effectively planting an idea or compulsion in his or her mind. The suggestion must be simple and clear, such as "Maybe you should go ahead while I wait here," "Did you hear that? I think it was footsteps from down the hall," or "It sure is warm in here." With such a suggestion and the victim's failed saving throw, the character can implant virtually any simple thought or basic feeling into the victim's mind; however, this does not extend to complex memories or hallucinations. The actual implanted thought, perception or notion is very real to an affected character and is relatively permanent. Only if reflecting on it later might the victim's recollection of the particular incident seem fuzzy or questionable. Range: 20 feet (6 m), plus 5 feet (1.5 m) per level of experience. Duration: Varies with the specific implanted thought or notion, but rarely more than a few hours. I.S.P. Cost: 6 per idea planted. Saving Throw: Standard, at a penalty of -1 to save. 4. Command. In this limited form of mind control, the psychic gives an order that the victim is compelled to obey. This can be something as simple and inunediate as "Put the gun down!" or something as open-ended as "Go get the others and meet me back at the office." An affected character will carry out the command to the best of his or her ability, within the restrictions of the victim's alignment and personality. The victim can not be commanded to directly cause harm to come to him or herself, though depending on the specific character in question, the victim may perform actions that could cause him or her to be wounded or even killed in the execution of the command (e.g. a soldier will not resist engaging in a battle, and a firefighter will not resist charging into a burning building). Range: 10 feet (3 m), plus 2 feet (0.6 m) per level of experience. Affects a maxi55

mum of only a single target at first level of experience, plus one at levels 2, 4, 8 and 15. Duration: 2D6 minutes, plus ID6 minutes per level of experience. The command must be carried out during the duration. I.S.P. Cost: 12 per command, per target. Saving Throw: Standard. A character is +3 to save if commanded to perform an action against his or her alignment or character, and no character will take an action that amounts to suicide, unless that character is already suicidal. 5. Control. The psychic is able to take complete control over another person's consciousness by pure force ofwill. The victim becomes a human puppet, subject to absolute control of the Charismatic, as if the victim's mind were suddenly replaced with that of the psychic. Unlike other abilities of the Charismatic, this ability is entirely mental and does not require suggestions or commands to be spoken. The victim of this ability outwardly appears to be normal (i.e. speaks in a natural voice, looks the same and has all ofhis or her own innate strengths and weaknesses), but the psychic does not have access to the memories or skills of the victim. This means that any combat is performed with the psychic's skills and bonuses, but with any benefits or drawbacks of the host body. The possessing psychic's own psionic abilities may be used while controlling another body, but at double the normal LS.P. cost. Any psychic or mystical abilities of the host body are unavailable to the possessing psychic. For the duration of the control, all actions are split between the host body and the psychic's own. This means that if the psychic has four actions per melee, each can be used, in turn, by either the psychic's own body or by the possessed person. Performing complex skills that take more than one melee action require unbroken focus in one body or another, leaving the other idle. A victim may be made to commit actions that are explicitly counter to his or her alignment, such as a good character being askcd to harm an innocent or attack a helpless foe, but such an act grants an additional opportunity to save vs psionics with a bonus of +2. Likewise, a possessed individual made to do something inherently and immediately dangerous that he or she would not likely attempt, such as jumping out of a moving vehicle or stepping into traffic, also has the opportunity to save vs psionics with a bonus of +2. A successful save under such circumstances will break the psychic's control over the victim. A controlled person can not be made to commit suicide unless already suicidal. Upon the cessation of control by the psychic, either at will, by a successful save vs psionics or the end of the duration, the victim awakes as if from a dream or a trance and has no memory of what transpired while under the control of the Charismatic. Only another psychic or an individual skilled in recognizing possession will even understand that he or she had been possessed. Range: 10 feet (3 m), plus 2 feet (0.6 m) per level of experience for the initial establishment of control. Once possession takes hold, the bodies may be separated by as much as 1,000 feet (305 m) plus 100 feet (30.5 m) per level of experience; exceeding this range breaks the contact with the victim's body. Duration: 4D4 minutes, plus ID4 minutes per level of experience. I.S.P. Cost: 50, or 25 by touch. Saving Throw: Standard. A controlled individual made to take an action that is in complete defiance of his or her alignment, or would put the character in grave and immediate danger, gets an additional chance to save with a bonus of +2. Complimentary Powers With practice at wielding these powers over the minds of others, a Charismatic can refine his or her skills to broaden the range of influence over the basic set of abilities. These Complimentary Powers can increase the range, scope and potency of the character's ability to Influence, Suggest, Command and ControL The effects of several of these Complimentary Powers, if taken, may be combined. For example, a character with both the Amplify Influence and Strengthen Influence abilities may spend an additional 4 LS.P. to achieve both powers' effects against a single target, or an additional 12 LS.P. to achieve both powers' effects within an area of effect. Select one new Complimentary Power at levels 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14. 1. Amplify Influence. The character is capable of influencing people over a greater range. With the expenditure of an additional 2 LS.P. for an individual target, or an additional 6 LS.P. for a radial effect, the range of the Influence power is doubled. 2. Strengthen Influence. With the expenditure of an additioual 2 LS.P. for an individual target, or an additional 6 I.S.P. for a radial effect, the character's influence becomes more difficult for targets to overcome. Increase the penalty to save vs psionics to -3. 3. Particular Influence. The character has refined the ability to invoke a particular form of the Influence power over others. The base LS.P. Cost for one particular type ofInfluence (Anger, Confuse, Motivate, etc.) is permanently reduced by 50%. This applies to the LS.P. Cost of both individual targets and radial effects. 4. Amplify Suggestion. The character is capable of using the Suggest ability on multiple targets at once. At the cost of 18 LS.P., a suggestion may be made to all targets within a radius half that of the normal Suggest ability. Each individual within the radius gets an independent chance to save vs psionics. 5. Strengthen Suggestion. With the expenditure of an additional 3 LS.P. for an individual target (or an additional 9 LS.P. for a radial effect if the character has the Complimentary Power of Amplify Suggestion), the character's suggestion becomes more difficult for targets to resist. Increase the penalty to save vs psionics by 1, which makes it -2. 6. Prolong Command. The psychic is able to extend the time during which the effects of the Command ability maintain their effect. With the expenditure of an additional 6 LS.P. per Command, per target, the duration of that Command is doubled. 7. Broaden Command. The psychic is capable of issuing a Command to a greater number of targets. Increase the maximum number of possible targets by two. This Complimentary Power may be taken a second time to further increase the maximum number of possible targets by an additional two (an additional four, total). 8. Practiced Control. The Charismatic has spent a great deal of time and effort refining his ability of Control. Reduce LS.P. Cost to 40, or 20 by touch. This Complimentary Power may be 56

taken a second time to further reduce the l.S.P. Cost to 30, or 15 by touch. 9. Prolong Control. The psychic is able to extend the time for which he or she can use the Control ability against another being. With the expenditure of an additional 10 LS.P., the duration of a successful Control is doubled. Limitations 1. Range and Earshot. With the exception of Control, all powers require hearing actual suggestions or commands from the psychic. These abilities do function over radio or other broadcast devices, so long as the victims are still within the required physical distance from the psychic. So, while the psychic may use the Influence ability over a helmet headset to calm his or her teammates, any target not within the specified range will hear the psychic's words, but not be affected in any paranormal way. Likewise, a Command may be issued to an opponent over a loudspeaker, or even broadcast on a video screen, so long as that opponent is within range ofthe psychic. 2. Recording. While the character's voice is a required part of using most of the above abilities, the voice, alone, is not enough. Powers will not function in any way if utilizing recorded messages. 3. Radial Effects. Some abilities may be used either against a specific target, or in an area of effect. When used to affect those within a radius, everyone within the area is potentially affected and must make a saving throw versus psionics. The Charismatic cannot selectively choose whom to include. 4. Alignment. Characters of the Charismatic O.e.C. can potentially wield awesome power over others, and can potentially use this power in such a way that would violate a character's ethical code. A character of Scrupulous alignment is unlikely to Command an enemy to walk into traffic, while a Principled character may not even use Influence to convincingly tell a lie. Truly evil characters are unlikely to pause in using these powers for their own benefit, no matter what violations that may entail. Characters attempting to use their powers in opposition to their alignment may do so, but at double the normal LS.P. Cost. On top of that, there are likely some things a character of good or even selfish alignment will never do under any circumstances. Truly good characters may even refuse to use the Control ability, ever. Other O.C.C. Stats and Bonuses 1. I.S.P. Base: Roll 3D4xlO plus the character's M.E. attribute number to determine base Inner Strength Points. The character gets another 12 LS.P. for each additional level of experience. The Charismatic is considered a Master Psychic. I.S.P. Recovery: Spent LS.P. is regained at a rate of 2 points per hour of activity, or 6 per hour of meditation or sleep. 2. Saving Throw Versus Psionic Attack: As a Master Psychic, the character needs a 10 or higher to save vs psionics. 3. P.P.E. Base: Most of the Charismatic's P.P.E. has been expended in the development ofpsychic abilities. The remaining permanent P.P.E. base is only ID6. 4. Bonuses: +6 to save vs possession and mind control at first level of experience, + I at levels 3, 6 and 12. +4 to save vs illusions. Experience Table: Charismatic O.C.c. 1 0,000 2,200 2 2,201-4,400 3 4,401 - 8,800 4 8,801 17,600 5 17,601 27,800 6 27,801 37,900 7 37,901 55,100 8 55,101 75,200 9 75,201 - 100,300 10 100,301- 145,500 11 145,501 - 190,600 12 190,601 245,700 13 245,701 295,800 14 295,801 - 345,900 15 345,901 -415,100 Reactionary O.C.C. All psionic abilities discovered by formerly ordinary people come to realization through instinct, but the Reactionary is a psychic who operates almost wholly on a subconscious level. Just like we may flinch when expecting an impact or lash out blindly when cornered, this powerful psychic manifests his or her powers without a thought, but simply reacts in self defense. The response is powerful, capable of stunning or even killing someone in response to a physical attack, subduing the powers of other psychics if attacked mentally, and generating an impregnable psionic shield if in danger ofbeing overwhelmed. The response is totally instinctual and very difficult to control, possibly resulting in overreaction. A slap on the face is as likely to generate a response as a bullet to the head, meaning that if the Reactionary can not learn restraint, he or she can become a great danger to others. With practice and experience, a Reactionary can eventually gain some limited control over his or her instinctive abilities, either magnifying their effects or harnessing his or her own natural abilities to create deliberate effects. Due to the uncontrolled nature of a Reactionary's powers, these psychics are feared and shunned by most survivors of the Great Cataclysm. Most eventually find their way into seclusion, setting themselves apart both from a fear of doing harm to others and a fear for their own safety at the hands of other survivors wary of their reflexive abilities. Those who seek adventure or mayhem often learn to enjoy their relative invulnerability and can be extremely dangerous in combat, capable of engaging many opponents at once thanks to their natural defenses and reflexes. Special Reactionary O.C.C. Psychic Abilities Note: These powers differ in nature from those commonly available to other psychics and are exclusive to the Reactionary o.e.e. 1. Backlash. When the Reactionary is attacked, the psychic's protective reflex is to lash out at the attacker with a mental counter that potentially stuns, and at more advanced levels can 57

Those not knocked unconscious lose initiative and two attacks per melee round, and are -4 on all combat rolls and -10% on all skills for 1 D4 minutes. even injure or kill the attacker. This instinctive backlash does not differentiate between threat levels, but applies its full effects against any and all attackers within range who mean to do the character harm. Whether the attack is meant to kill, wound, stun, restrain or even frighten is not relevant, only that the attacker put the Reactionary in the proverbial crosshairs. Even including the Reactionary in the blast radius of an area effect weapon is enough to trigger the Backlash. This defensive reaction does not apply to shots fired near the character, at his or her friends or allies or at objects near the Reactionary. The Backlash responds to attacks on the character when he or she is in personal body armor, and even environmental body armor and power armor, but not if the character is donning robot armor or is piloting or riding in a vehicle. Range: 100 feet (30 m), plus 50 feet (I5 m) per level of experience; those beyond this range may attack the character without triggering the Backlash. Duration: Instant, with potential lasting stun effects. I.S.P. Cost: None. Saving Throw: Standard; a successful save vs psionics means that the Backlash has no effect. Damage: Begins with a stun at early levels, eventually becoming powerful enough to injure or even kill its target. Level I: The victim of the Backlash is momentarily stunned, losing initiative and one attack that melee round. Level 3: The effects of the stun are heightened and extended, causing the victim to lose initiative, one attack per melee round and suffer a penalty of -2 on all combat rolls and -5% on all skills for ID4 melees. Level 5: The stun becomes more powerful, with a 25% chance of knocking the victim unconscious for ID4 minutes. Level 8: The stun has become powerful enough to cause physical damage in addition to stun effects. In addition to the effects felt at Level 5, all victims of the Backlash suffer ID6 damage directly to Hit Points, or M.D.C. if a Mega-Damage creature. Level 11: Stun has a 50% chance of knocking the victim unconscious for 2D4 minutes. The duration of stun effects felt at Level 5 are likewise increased to 2D4 minutes. Increase damage to 2D6 Hit Points, or M.D.C. if the victim is a Mega-Damage creature. Level 15: Increase damage to 5D6 Hit Points, or M.D.C. if the victim is a Mega-Damage creature. 2. Feedback. The Reactionary has a natural defense against mental attack and intrusion as well as the physical. When the character is the target of any psychic ability, be it as severe as mind control or Bio-Manipulation or as harmless as Telepathy or psychic healing, the result is a sort of psychic shout that breaks off the contact and leaves an aftereffect, like a psychic ringing in the ears, that hinders the invader's psionic abilities for a short time. This defense is similarly effective against magical mind control and mental attack if the character is specifically targeted, but offers no resistance to illusions, magical barriers or other mystic influences that do not create some sort of link between the attacker and the Reactionary. Range: 50 feet (15 m), plus 25 feet (7.6 m) per level of experience. Duration: ID4 melees, plus one melee per additional level of experience. I.S.P. Cost: None. Saving Throw: Standard; a successful save vs psionics means that the Feedback has no effect. Damage: Affects the mental focus and psychic capabilities of the victim, preventing the use of further psychic powers until the duration ends or a successful save vs psionics is made. Roll to save vs psionics at the time of the attack and at the beginning of every subsequent melee round until a save is made, or the duration expires. 3. Shell. When in extreme, life-threatening danger, the Reactionary's psyche clamps down in an all-out defense in an attempt to ride out the threat. This ability is triggered at the moment of impending life-threatening injury or death, usually at the point that a killing blow, shot or impact is imminent. The result is the creation of a psychic shell around the character that protects against all physical attacks. While the Reactionary is in this state, he or she can do nothing else, induding fight, move or consciously use other psychic powers, but is at the same time both protected and helpless, like a turtle seeking cover in a psychic shell. Range: Self. Duration: ID4 melee rounds per level of experience. The Shell cannot be lifted until the duration expires or a successful Suppress Reaction roll is made. I.S.P. Cost: None. Limitations: While Shell is active, the character can speak, but cannot move, perform skills or take any combat actions, nor can the character attempt to perform any Complimentary Powers except for Reinforce Shell. Backlash and Feedback continue to function as normal, but cannot be suppressed. Any attempt to move or carry the character will result in activating a Backlash. M.D.C.: Varies, and inconsistent; roll for each activation. 58

Levell: ID6x1O Level 2: 2D6xl0 Level 3: 4D6x1O Level 4 and beyond: 8D6x1O at Level 4, plus 50 per additional level of experience (e.g. 8D6x1O+50 at Level 5, 8D6x1O+100 at Level 6, etc.). 4. Suppress Reaction. The character may attempt to hold back any of his or her psychic reactions, but it is difficult to do so. Due to the effort required, all Reactionary abilities must be simultaneously suppressed, and no Complimentary Powers may be used during the duration. Range: Self. Duration: 1 melee round; each attempt counts as one attack per melee. I.S.P. Cost: 10 per attempt. Saving Throw: The successful use of Suppress Reaction requires a saving throw. For characters with an M.E. attribute of 1 to 3, no saving throw is possible and the character is incapable of Suppressing Reaction. For characters with an M.E. attribute of 4 to 7, a Suppress Reaction is successful only on a roll of a Natural 20, with no bonuses applicable. All other characters must make a saving throw of 18; only bonuses to Suppress Reaction apply. Limitations: Once successfully activated, Suppress Reaction remains in effect for the remainder of the melee round and may not be cancelled early. LS.P. is spent whether the suppression is successful or not. Bonuses: The Reactionary receives a + I to Suppress Reaction at levels 2 3 5 7 9, 12 and 15. The character also receives a bonus to Su~pr~s~ Reaction according to his or her M.E. attribute, as follows: M.E. of 8 or 9: No bonus. M.E. oflO or 11: +1 M.E. of 12 or 13: +2 M.E. of 14 or 15: +3 M.E. of 16 to 18: +4 M.E. of 19 to 21: +5 M.E. of 22 to 24: +6 M.E. of 25 to 27: +7 M.E. of 28 to 30: +8 M.E. of31 and above: +9 Complimentary Powers The mind can be trained in a number of ways, even disciplined to overcome our basest instincts and control our reactions. With experience, conditioning and practice, the Reactionary can learn to achieve some limited control over his or her purely instinctive powers to achieve different, or more potent effects. These Complimentary Powers can be taken up to three times each to enhance their effects. Select one new Complimentary Power at levels 2, 3,5,6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15. All new powers start at the base level of experience. 1. Outburst. The Reactionary has learned to direct his or her Backlash ability in the form of an intentional attack. The result is a radial stun effect which impacts everyone within its range. Range: 10 foot (3 m) radius per level of experience. Selecting Outburst a second time adds 20 feet (6 m) to the radius, and a third selection of Outburst adds an additional 50 feet (15 m). Duration: Instant, with potential lasting stun effects. Counts as 3 melee attacks. Selecting Outburst a second time lowers this to 2 melee attacks and a third selection lowers this to I melee attack. Save vs Psionics: Standard. Damage: Equal to a Level 1 Backlash to everyone within the radius, whether friend or foe. Selecting Outburst a second time increases the damage and effects to that of a Level 3 Backlash and a third selection increases the damage and effects to that of a LevelS Backlash. I.S.P. Cost: 15 per use. 2. White Noise. The Reactionary makes a conscious effort to block out invasion of his or her mind, resulting in a sort of psychic static that disrupts both the use of psionics within the radius of the White Noise and the targeting of those within the radius. Range: Self, plus a 5 foot (1.5 m) radius per level of experience. Selecting this power a second time adds a bonus of 10 feet (3 m) to the effective radius, while a third selection adds an additional 20 feet (6 m). Duration: Instant, until canceled. Save vs Psionics: Standard. Limitations: The White Noise ability requires constant concentration from the Reactionary. While the power is in effect, the Feedback ability is not active, no other Complimentary Powers may be used, and the character has no initiative, loses two attacks per melee, and is -4 on all combat rolls and -10% to perform all skills. If White Noise is selected a second time, the character must sacrifice only one attack per melee, -2 on combat rolls and -5% to perform skills to maintain adequate concentration. Damage: Psychics within the area of effect must make a standard save vs psionics in order to use any of their powers. Further, any non-psychics within the effect's radius are + 1 to save vs psionics; a third selection of White Noise sees this bonus increase to +2 to save vs psionics. I.S.P. Cost: 25 per melee round. 3. Body Shell. This modified Shell power allows the character to perform some limited actions, but is also less effective than the Reactionary's purely instinctive response. This requires massive concentration by the psychic, so much so that he or she can do little else but walk and perform some basic skills. Range: Self. Duration: Requires one minute of concentration to activate, then active until canceled or the M.D.C. expended. If Body Shell is selected a second time, only two melee rounds of concentration are required to activate the power, and if selected a third time, activation only requires one melee round of mental preparation. Limitations: While the Body Shell is active, the Reactionary's instinctive Shell power is inactive, no other Complimentary Powers may be used, plus the character has no initiative, only one action per melee round, and moves at a maximum speed of 3. No combat actions are possible, including defensive actions, and all skills are performed at a penalty of -20%. Selecting this power a second time allows the character to take an additional non-combat action per melee round, increases the maximum speed to 6, and reduces the skill penalty to -10%. M.D.C.: 2D6 per level of experience. Selecting this power a second time adds 10 M.D.C. to the protective value of the Body Shell, while selecting it a third time adds an additional 30 M.D.C. I.S.P. Cost: 30 per melee round. 4. Shell Bubble. Through force of will and extensive practice, the Reactionary can learn to trigger a sort of Shell reaction that acts as a small radial bubble, defending not only the character but extending to other characters or objects in the immediate vicinity. Those in the protection of the field may move within it, but are otherwise trapped and may not exit the bubble, shoot someone outside its radius, etc. Range: Self, plus a 2 foot (0.6 59

m) radius, plus 1 foot (0.3 m) per additional level of experience. Selecting Shell Bubble a second time adds an additional 3 feet (0.9 m) to the maximum radius of the Shell Bubble. Duration: Requires one minute of concentration to activate, then active until canceled or the M.D.C. expended. If Shell Bubble is selected a second time, only two melee rounds of concentration are required to activate the power, and if selected a third time, activation only requires one melee round of mental preparation. Limitations: When the Shell Bubble is active, the Reactionary is totally immobile and must spcnd every ounce of concentration on keeping the protective field in place. The character has no initiativc, can take no actions and cannot perform skills. Even conversations must be simple and direct, lest concentration be broken. While the Shell Bubble is active, the character's instinctive Shell ability is inactive, and no Complimentary Powers may be used. M.D.C.: 3D6 per level of experience. Selecting this power a third time adds 20 M.D.C. to the protective capacity of the Shell Bubble. I.S.P. Cost: 30 per melee round. S. Reinforce Backlash. The Reactionary has gained enough control over his or her Backlash reflex to reinforce its effects by force of will. With the expenditure of 15 I.S.P. at the beginning of the melee round, the range and damage of all Backlash attacks for that round are increased. For the initial selection ofReinforce Backlash, add +100 feet (30 m) to range and +2 Hit Points to damage when the I.S.P. is expended at the beginning of the melee round. If selected twice, these bonuses are increased to +200 feet (60 m) and +4 Hit Points, while a third selection increases the bonuses to +300 feet (90 m) and +6 Hit Points. Note that this power in no way affects Outburst or any ability aside from Backlash. 6. Reinforce Feedback. The Reactionary has gained enough control over his or her Feedback reflex to reinforce its effects by force of wilL With the expenditure of 10 l.S.P. at the beginning of the melee round, the range and duration of all Feedback attacks for that round are increased. For the initial selection of Reinforce Feedback, add +50 feet (15 m) to range and +lD4 melees to duration when the I.S.P. is expendcd at the beginning of the melee round. If selected twice, these bonuses are increased to + 100 feet (30 m) and +2D4 melees, while a third selection increases the bonuses to + 150 feet (45.7 m) and +3D4 to duration. Note that this power in no way affects White Noise or any ability aside from Feedback. 7. Reinforce Shell. The Reactionary has gained enough control over his or her Shell reflex to prolong its effectiveness by force of will. With the expenditure of 20 I.S.P., the character may renew up to 50 M.D.C. of the Shell's capacity, up to its original level, and increase its duration by 1 D4 melees. If Reinforce Shell is selected twice, the same expenditure of l.S.P. will renew up to 100 M.D.C. of the shell's capacity and increase its duration by 2D4 melees, while selecting the power three times increases the maximum renewal to 200 M.D.C. and the increase in duration to 3D4 melees. Note that this power in no way affects Body Shell, Shell Bubble or any ability aside from Shell. 8. Willpower. The character has learned better control of his or her instinctive powers and has an improved chance to restrain their use. Each time the Willpower ability is taken, it provides a bonus of +2 to Suppress Reaction, up to a maximum of+6. Other O.C.C. Stats and Bonuses 1. I.S.P. Base: Roll 2D6xl0 plus the character's M.E. attribute number to determine base Inner Strength Points. The character gets another 10 I.S.P. for each additional level of experience. The Reactionary is considered a Master Psychic. I.S.P. Recovery: Spent I.S.P. is regained at a rate of 2 points per hour of activity, or 6 per hour of meditation or sleep. 2. Saving Throw Versus Psionic Attack: As a Master Psychic, the character needs a 10 or higher to save vs psionics. 3. P.P.E. Base: Most of the Reactionary'S P.P.E. has been expended in the development ofpsychic abilities. The remaining permanent P.P.E. base is only ID6. Experience Table: Reactionary O.c.c. 1 0,000 2,050 2 2,051 4,100 3 4,101 8,250 4 8,251 16,500 5 16,501 - 24,600 6 24,601 34,700 7 34,701 49,800 8 49,801 69,900 9 69,901 - 95,000 10 95,001 - 130,100 11 130,101 180,200 12 180,201 230,300 13 230,301 - 280,400 14 280,401 - 340,500 15 340,501 - 400,600 Teke Freak O.C.C. Some psychics are immensely powerful, but lack subtlety. Such is the Teke Freak, an ineredibly talented psychic with telekinetic abilities of staggering magnitude. Characters of this class can crush cars, bowl over power armor and rend Mega-Damage materials with a simple thought and the wave of a hand, but cannot use this same power to simply pull a book off a shelf or levitate a chair across a room. The Teke Freak is thus not particularly limited by any upper bound of power, but lacks a fine touch. From most who wield these abilities, there are no complaints. An experienced Teke Freak is a terror on the battlefield, capable of dealing out massive amounts of damage with crushing telekinetic blow after telekinetic blow. There is perhaps no class of psychics that NEMA, the military and other authorities fear more, as a Teke Freak is capable of going toe to toe with a squad of armored soldiers or taking on robots and fighting vehicles. More than one of these powerful Master Psychics have been found to lead gangs of looters and miscreants after the Coming of the Rifts, confidently defying any authority on the weight ofthe one psychic's abilities. 60

Special Teke Freak O.C.C. Psychic Abilities Note: These powers differ in nature from those commonly available to other psychics and are exclusive to the Teke Freak O.C.C. 1. Hammer. The psychic delivers a massive, crushing telekinetic blow to a target, like a powerful punch. Range: 100 feet (30 m), plus 50 feet (15 m) per level of experience. Duration: Instant. I.S.P. Cost: 5 per Hammer attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Damage: ID4xlO M.D. at first level of experience, plus an additional ID4xl0 at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. Bonus: +2 to strike, +1 at levels 2, 5, 8 and 12. 2. Uppercut. The psychic delivers an upward blow that has the potential to toss smaller targets into the air and knock down larger opponents. Range: 50 feet (15 m), plus 25 feet (7.6 m) per level of experience. Duration: Instant. I.S.P. Cost: 10 per Uppercut attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Damage: 4D6 M.D. at first level of experience, plus an additional lD6 at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. In addition to damage, human-sized targets (including armored humans, power armor, 'Borgs, etc.) impacted by the blow must roll percentile to determine if they are flung 3D6 feet (ID6 meters) into the air from the force of the blow, losing initiative and two attacks for the melee. Percentile roll must be greater than twice the damage roll to avoid knockdown (so a damage roll of 15 M.D. has a 01-30% chance of knockdown). Larger targets (robotic armor, giant D-Bees, etc.) are also susceptible to a simple knockdown, losing initiative and one attack in the process; roll percentile over the value of the damage done to avoid knockdown (a damage roll of 15 M.D. has a 01-15% chance of knockdown). Bonus: + 1 to strike at levels 3, 7 and 11. 3. Sweep. A wide, sweeping strike intended to knock down many human-sized targets at once. Range: 50 feet (15 m) away, plus 25 feet (7.6 m) per level of experience, and sweeps a maximum line of 10 feet (3 m) per level of experience. Duration: Instant; counts as two attacks. I.S.P. Cost: 10 per Sweep attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Damage: 2D6 M.D. at first level of experience, plus an additional ID6 M.D. at levels 3, 7 and 11. In addition to damage, human-sized targets (including armored humans, power armor, 'Borgs, etc.) within the arc of the Sweep must roll percentile to determine whether or not they are knocked down, losing initiative and one attack for the melee. Percentile roll must be more than twice the damage roll to avoid knockdO\vn (so a damage roll of 15 M.D. has a 01-30% chance of knockdown). Objects smaller than human sized automatically suffer knockdown and are tossed about and scattered in the Sweep like rag dolls. Larger targets (robotic armor, giant demons, etc.) are not affected. Bonus: +1 to strike at levels 4 and 9. 4. Drive. Rather than make a blunt impact, Drive provides a massive, persistent telekinetic force to push a target, in a single direction, a great distance away from the psychic and potentially crashing into other targets. Range: Impacts an object up to 100 feet (30 m) away, plus 50 feet (15 m) per level of experience and pushes it to a distance as far as 200 feet (61 m) away from its original position, plus 100 feet (30 m) per level of experience, or half if the target is substantially larger than human scale (robot armor, school bus, giant monster, etc.). Duration: Instant; counts as two attacks. I.S.P. Cost: 15 per Drive attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Attempts to dodge or parry the Driven objects are made against the psychic's straight roll to strike on a 20-sided die, with no bonuses of any kind. Damage: 2D6 M.D., plus an additional 2D6 M.D. to both objects involved in a collision. The Driven object and anyone struck in its path all lose initiative and two attacks. Bonus: +2 to strike, +1 at levels 2,5, 8 and 12. 5. Teke Combat. The Teke Freak has some intuitive ability to direct his or her attacks with accuracy, and this ability improves with experience and training. There are some elements of the psychic's power that can't be overcome, however; most notably that the scale of the various attacks is very large, better suited for combating large opponents than anything smaller than human size. All bonuses to strike provided within the power descriptions involve combat with human-scale targets. Targeting anything smaller is highly difficult, negating any bonuses to strike (straight roll on a D20), while attacking large targets such as giant monsters, robotic armor or large vehicles provides the character with a universal +3 to strike. Called Shots are not possible on human-sized targets or smaller, but may be made to large components of giant targets (the leg of a giant robot, a turret on an armored vehicle, etc.). No hand to hand or other combat bonuses apply to Teke attacks, only those granted by the O.C.C. and the individual abilities. 61

Due to the scale of attack, a Teke Freak must roll (with bonuses) a minimum of a 5 to strike giant sized targets, or 10 to strike human sized targets. Since the Teke attacks are invisible, a true dodge is not generally possible. A target actively moving or dodging in anticipation of a telekinetic strike gets a natural, unmodified roll on a 020 to attempt to evade the attack; this defensive action uses an attack just as per a normal dodge. Complimentary Powers With practice and experience, the Teke Freak can develop his or her already impressive powers into an even greater and more varied arsenaL These Complimentary Powers can be taken up to three times each to enhance their effects. Select one new Complimentary Power at levels 2, 4, 7, 9, 12 and 14. 1. Crush. In this devastating attack, simultaneous Hammer strikes are brought to bear at once, smashing the target between two telekinetic forces. Range: Equal to Hammer ability. Duration: Instant. I.S.P. Cost: 20 per Crush attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Damage: When selected once, damage is equal to that of the Hammer attack, plus ID4xlO. Upon selecting this ability a second time, this damage is increased to Hammer attack, plus 2D4xlO. Upon selecting this ability a third time, increase damage to that of the Hammer attack, plus 3D4xlO. Bonus: None, except inherent bonus to strike large targets, as well as any bonuses gained from the Teke Combat Mastery Complimentary Power. 2. Tear. This attack is effectively the opposite of Crush, as it applies two powerful telekinetic forces in opposite directions. This can be used to rend even Mega-Damage materials apart, tear robots limb from limb or rip holes in the sides of M.D. buildings. Range: Equal to Hammer ability. Duration: Instant. I.S.P. Cost: 20 per Tear attack. Saving Throw: Dodge, see Teke Combat. Damage: When selected once, this attack is equal to an Augmented P.S. of 50 and does 3D4 M.D. If selected a second time, the strength is upgraded to a Robotic P.S. of 50 and the attack does ID6xlO M.D. If selected a third time, the strength is upgraded to a Supernatural P.s. of 50 and the attack does 2D4xlO M.D. Bonus: None, except inherent bonus to strike large targets, as well as any bonuses gained from the Teke Combat Mastery Complimentary Power. 3. Attract. The psychic creates a sort of telekinetic singularity, drawing in any and all objects, human-sized and larger, toward a single point. Except for the psychic, none within the radius are immune to the pull, friend or foe, unless a save vs psionics is made or the object has sufficient weight or strength to withstand the pulL The Attraction may be centered on an object or a point in space. Range: The center of the Attraction may be placed as far away as 50 feet (15 m) with the first selection of this power. Increase to 100 feet (30 m) if selected twice and 200 feet (61 m) if selected a third time. The radius of the Attraction is 10 feet (3 m) with the first selection of this power, 20 feet (6 m) if selected twice and 40 feet (12 m) if selected a third time. Duration: The Attraction may be maintained for ID4 melees with the first selection of the power, 2D4 melees if Attract is selected twice and 4D4 melees if selected three times. For every melee round the Attraction is in effect, the psychic must sacrifice one melee action in order to maintain controL I.S.P. Cost: 30. Saving Throw: Standard save vs psionics, or sufficiently high P.S. attribute. Damage: None at its base level, but will draw in objects with a force equal to an Augmented P.S. of 30; characters and objects with sufficient weight, strength or Robotic or Supernatural P.S. can withstand the pull. If this ability is selected twice, the Attraction exerts a force equal to a Robotic P.S. of 30 and inflicts a crushing force of ID6 M.D. per melee round to anything pulled to its epicenter. If selected a third time, the force is increased to equal a Supernatural P.S. 000 and the crushing force on objects drawn to the epicenter is increased to 3D6 M.D. per melee round. 4. Concussion. By focusing mental energy, the psychic adds an explosive telekinetic force to any Hammer, Uppercut, Drive or Crush that he or she desires. This additional damage calculates into chance for knockdown, where applicable. Range: As per the respective basic ability. Duration: Instant. I.S.P. Cost: lOin addition to the base cost of the power being enhanced. Saving Throw: As per the respective basic ability. Damage: When selected once, the additional Concussion damage is 4D6 M.D. If selected a second time, the additional damage increases to ID6xlO M.D., and if selected a third time increases to 2D4xIOM.D. 5. Manipulation Mastery. The character has learned to use his or her powers without relying on physical movement. Selected once, this power allows the character to use any and all Teke abilities and Complimentary Powers without the normal associated physical movement, but all range and damage are reduced by half, and LS.P. Cost is doubled. Selected a second time, the character may use his or her powers at full strength without the associated physical movements, but at double the base LS.P. Cost. Selected a third time, physical movements are no longer required, and all abilities are performed as normal for the base I.S.P. Cost. 6. Teke Combat Mastery. The character has spent the time and effort to become even more proficient in the use of his or her various Teke combat abilities. For each time this ability is taken, add +1 to strike on all Teke powers, up to a maximum of +3. Limitations 1. Scale. The Teke Freak's powers are massive in scale and unable to manipulate or target on any level smaller than human-sized. The character's telekinesis is not capable of levitating a book or pulling the pin out of a grenade. It functions like a sledgehammer, always at full force with a broad stroke. See Teke Combat for information on how this limitation affects combat. 2. Shadow Movement. Much of the Teke Freak's powers operate as much on instinct as on mental discipline. For this reason, the psychic finds it necessary to use physical movements when utilizing any psychic abilities. The character punches, swings, pushes and otherwise makes gestures while using all telekinetic abilities, as if engaged in actual hand to hand combat. Without such movements, the character can not use his or her powers. See the Manipulation Mastery ability under Complimentary Powers for ways to overcome this limitation. Other O.C.C. Stats and Bonuses 1. I.S.P. Base: Ro1l3D6x1O plus the character's M.E. attribute number to determine base Inner Strength Points. The charac62

ter gets another 10 LS.P. for each additional level of experience. The Teke Freak is considered a Master Psychic. I.S.P. Recovery: Spent LS.P. is regained at a rate of 2 points per hour of activity, or 6 per hour ofmeditation or sleep. 2. Saving Throw Versus Psionic Attack: As a Master Psychic, the character needs a 10 or higher to save vs psionics. 3. P.P.E. Base: Most of the Teke Freak's P.P.E. has been expended in the development of psychic abilities. The remaining pennanent P.P.E. base is only 1D6. Experience Table: Teke Freak O.C.c. 1 0,000 - 2,100 9 71,201 96,400 2 2,101 - 4,200 10 96,401- 131,600 3 4,201 8,400 11 131,601- 181,800 4 8,401 17,200 12 181,801-232,000 5 17,201 25,400 13 232,001 282,200 6 25,401 - 35,800 14 282,201 342,400 7 35,801 - 51,000 15 342,401 - 402,600 8 51,001 71,200 Forced Choices Official Source Material for the Splicers@ RPG By Brandon K. Aten and Matthew Orr The Human Resistance's epic war with N.E.X.U.S. rages on, and new creations have been brought to bear. Weapons and defenses genetically based on plants enter the fight. These fortifications require a new class of specialist soldier to deploy them. Alien-human hybrids battle on the front lines alongside Splicer soldiers who are almost as frightened of them as they are of the minions of N.E.X.U.S. The enigmatic Engineers demand help with their work and the brightest minds offer assistance, knowing their bodies will be destroyed in the process. The Resistance believes that Bio-Technology will save humanity, yet no one is sure exactly what the cost will be. Gardener O.C.C. Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright In all of the Human Resistance, few are more attuned to the surface than the Gardener. Often deployed as forward scouts, the Gardener has a unique opportunity to observe the shattered world in all of its twisted beauty. Many of the once great cities have crumbled and been reclaimed by time, leaving nothing but vast expanses of forests and grasslands in their wake, but the Gardeners see these as the true marvels. Gardeners will often spend weeks on the surface, many times hiding from and evading N.E.X.U.S. patrols simply to observe the natural world, making them excellent scouts. Gardeners also use all the knowledge that they have of the surface to maximum effect as the unparalleled Splicer experts in military fortification. They know robot patrol patterns and natural barriers in the area, and are trained in some of the weaknesses of the robots of N.E.X.U.S. Skilled in the use of traditional fortifications, such as tank traps and bunkers, as well as new Bio-Tech creations of the Engineers, Gardeners are an invaluable resource to the Resistance. Gardeners are assigned a specialized fonn of Host Annor that acts as a mobile garden for genetically modified plants that are as lethal as many of the minions of N.E.x.U.S. The plants are easily plucked from the armor and planted in the earth to be cultivated by the Gardener into deadly tools of destruction. Once planted, the defenses will re-grow on the armor, making it constantly appear covered in plants, vines, and flowers, as well as allowing the Gardener to reuse the plants selected. Energy blasts, explosives, walls, and even food and shelter are all resources at the disposal of the Gardener, helping them achieve their most important mission: protect the Great House at all costs. Often deployed with groups of Roughnecks or Packmasters, the Gardeners are used to set up forward bases and fortify areas, while still maintaining a low profile. The natural look of the defenses is often enough for the Machine or Splicers from rival Great Houses to overlook them until it is too late. The Gaia personality of N.E.X.U.S. is especially interested in the Gardeners and their natural defenses, and often sends large groups of robots to try to acquire genetic samples from their annor and plants, but so far has been unsuccessful in this endeavor. Alignment: Any, but the majority are Principled (25%), Scrupulous (30%), Unprincipled (30%), or Anarchist (10%). Attribute Requirements: LQ. 12, P.E. 11. Attribute Bonuses: + lD6 to LQ., + lD6 to P.E., and + 104 to P.S. O.C.C. Bonuses: +2 to save against Horror Factor, +1 to initiative, + 1 to strike with ranged weapons (including plant fortifications), and the Gardener has a small standard Bio-Comm unit built into his skull, enabling him to communicate with both humans and his plant fortifications. Base S.D.C.: 35, plus any from Physical skills. Common Skills: Standard. O.c.c. Skill Programs: Construction (+25%), Espionage (+20%) or Saboteur (+15%), Hunter/Trapper (+15%), Survivalist (+ 15% and includes the Gardening and Botany skills) and Bio-Technology (+15%). Elective Skills: Select five additional skills at first level, plus one additional Elective Skill at levels 2, 4, 7, 9,11 and 14. Communications: Any (+5%). Domestic: Any. Espionage: Any (+5%). 63

Medical: First Aid, Animal Husbandry, Brewing: Medicinal, and Holistic Medicine only. Holistic Medicine counts as two skill selections. Military: Any (+ 1 0%). Physical: Physical Labor, Outdoorsmanship, Forced March, Aerobic Athletics, General Athletics, Swimming, Prowl and Boxing only (+5% when applicable). Rogue: Concealment, Find Contraband, Sleight of Hand, and Use & Recognize Poison only. Science: Any (+5%). Technical: Any (+5%). Transportation: Any, except Pilot Wing Packs and War Mount Combat. Wilderness: Any (+ 1 0%). Weapon Proficiencies: Any. Secondary Skills: Select four additional Secondary Skills at level one plus one additional Secondary Skill at levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. Standard Equipment: Military fatigues, two sets of dress clothing, survival knife, utility belt, first-aid kit, a face-wrap, tinted goggles, hatchet for cutting wood, one weapon for each W.P. with an appropriate amount of ammunition for heavy combat, a good Mega-Horse for transportation, tent, knapsack, saddlebags, backpack, two water skins, emergency food rations (two week supply), and some personal items. Also see Gardener Host Armor and MD.C. Living Body Armor, below. M.D.C. "Living Body Armor": The Gardener also gets a suit of "Living Body Annor" for use as a backup armor. The Gardener is granted 5D8+30 Bio-E for additional enhancements of choice, but is limited to the categories of Eyes & Vision, Other Sensory Features, Offensive Bio-Weapons, Ranged Bio-Weapons, Ranged Weapon Upgrades, or Additional M.D.C. (2D6+12 M.D.C. per 10 Bio-E). The majority of Gardeners select Leatherback or Heavy Hide Armor for maximum maneuverability, but some (30%) select either Dragon Scale or Chitinous Annor for maximum front-line defense. However, most Gardeners prefer their Host Annor and seldom go into combat without it. Money: The Gardener has ID6x100 credits worth of precious metals as well as 6D6xlO in available credits. The Upside: Your defenses can be grown in almost no time in order to protect your allies or your Great House, making you an invaluable asset. Whether they are under your direct control or acting autonomously, they are capable of laying down tremendous fields of fire or passively lying in wait to ambush enemies, both machine and Splicer. The Downside: Many consider you to be a glorified combat engineer, and they may not be too far off. Without your biological defenses, you are still skilled enough to provide some use as a scout and combatant. Your plants offer protection against the Machine, but they can be easily overrun when N.E.x.U.S. is feeling persistent. You often feel as though you have something to prove to other Splicers, even when others feel that the lives you save are proof enough. Often being deployed with gung-ho Roughnecks with flowers and plants all over your armor also leads to its own share of mockery and razzing. Experience Table: Use the same Experience Table as the Skinjob found on page 183 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game. Gardener Host Armor The Gardener receives a specialized suit of Host Armor, the Bio-Tech equivalent of living power armor, brimming with weapons and Bio-Enhancements. The Gardener is genetically bonded to one specific Host Armor (this is the only Host Annor he can operate). See Creating Host Armor starting on page 70 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game to create Host Annor using the following limitations and Bio-E points. Step 1: Standard and unchanged; the basic Host Armor. Step 2: Determining Metabolism. The Gardener is limited to Photosynthetic or Thermosynthetic metabolisms. Step:l: Available Bio-E points for the Gardener are the M.E. attribute number plus the P.E. attribute number, +2D4xlO+20 Bio-E in addition to any Bio-E gained from the metabolism chosen in step two. Each level of advancement, starting with level two, the Gardener gains an additionallD8+4 Bio-E to add to the capabilities of his Host Armor. As usual, these Bio-E points can be spent as soon as they are acquired or saved and combined with the points from the subsequent level of experience. In addition, the Gardener starts with 4D6xl0 Bio-E points that are used to purchase Plant Fortifications for the character's personal garden. Each level of advancement, starting with level two, the Gardener gets 5D8 Bio-E points to be used to strengthen the garden. These Bio-E points can be spent as soon as they are acquired, or saved and combined with points from subsequent levels of experience. If the Gardner's Host Armor is destroyed, another will be bonded to him. It will only have the most basic Bio-Enhancements, but it will have 4D6x1O Bio-E points available to purchase plants for his garden. Step 4: Biological Enhancements and Weapons: Selections can be made from any of the categories, though the comparatively low amount of Bio-E points will limit selections. Most Gardeners go for sensory enhancements, biological defenses, and weapons. All Gardener Host Armor has a unique ability to lock its musculature in place, allowing the Host Armor to remain perfectly still and to stay in a trancelike state for six hours per level of the Gardener. Every hour spent in this still position counts as an hour of sleep or rest, but the Gardener is aware of his surroundings through his plants, and if anything happens to his body he can snap to attention in a heartbeat. This ability is innate to every Gardener Host Armor and has no Bio-E cost. It is in this state that a Gardener can take control of his plants, adding additional control bonuses to their innate combat abilities. The Gardener can also sense machines or living things (including animals, humans, or Bio-Tech creations) within the sensory range of his plants, unless otherwise noted. The armor of the Gardeners also has the Symbiotic Nourishment Bio-Enhancement at no additional cost, allowing them to gain nourishment from the metabolism of their Host Armor. It is this ability that allows the Gardener to stay out in the field with 65

his Thermosynthetic or Photosynthetic Host Armor for days or weeks at a time to ensure that the defenses that he plants will grow to maturity. As the Gardener increases in experience, he is better able to divide his attention among multiple plants, but once awoken from this trance, the plants must rely on their own bonuses and no longer receive the added bonuses from their Gardener. Due to the unique genetic bond that each plant has with its Gardener, only the Gardener whose armor created the plant can control it in this way. The Gardener can control 2 plants at level I, and can control one additional plant at levels 3, 6, 10, 13 and 15. Plant Fortifications The specialized Host Armor of the Gardener has a unique ability to grow saplings of the plant fortifieations used to protect the territory of the Great House upon maturity, but they can also be used as rapid deployment fortifications for Splicer soldiers out in the field before they reach their full size. When the Host Armor is created, the Gardener decides which dormant saplings the armor will be able to produce. The armor can keep saplings on its arms, legs, shoulders, back, and chest, as long as they are able to be reached and removed when needed. When the Gardener finds a need to use one of his saplings, it is plucked from the armor, exposing the roots that hold it tight to the frame, and then planted in the ground, requiring a Gardening or Botany skill roll. The plants are so resilient that they can grow in almost any soil, including loose sand, with the only exception being solid rock. Saplings will grow to replace those that have been plucked in 24+4D6 hours. The plants require a period of growth to emerge from their dormant state to a fully rooted, immature plant. This plant will not be as strong as the full-grown plants, but they can be extremely useful to scouts or Splicer soldiers who need some additional firepower or need to hold a position before reinforcements can arrive. Plants in their immature state are also extremely limited in the number of attacks they can make before the Bio-E they hold in reserve in order to grow to full maturity is expended and they shrivel and die. As long as an immature plant doesn't expend all of its energy, the plant will be able to reach maturity. The real strength of the Gardeners lies with their mature plants. Most mature plants are capable of dealing tremendous amounts of damage, punishing the machine forces foolish enough to walk into the well organized fields of destruction. The Gardeners use their training as fortification engineers and their powerful mature plants to often lay destructive and crippling ambushes for those who would encroach on the territory of their Great House. Only a small amount of plants become elder plants, mainly because they have to be tended to for years. These elder plants are the strongest and most dangerous of all of the plant defenses and are usually only found in the immediate vicinity of the Great House or long established surface bases. In order for an immature plant to reach maturity, it has to be nurtured and groomed by the Gardener for a particular amount of time which varies for each plant. The Gardener must make a Gardening skill roll each day to make sure that the plant is growing properly. A successful roll means that the plant is on the right path to becoming a fully mature plant. If the Gardener fails, then the Gardener must make a Botany skill roll to see if the problem can be assessed. If this roll also fails, then the plant is unable to grow to maturity and will only live long enough to expend its remaining payload, as described under the immature plant description. If the Botany skill roll is successful then the Gardener has discovered the problem and must make three Gardening skill rolls, being successful on two out ofthree to make sure that the plant grows to maturity. Features of All Plant Fortifications: I. Each ofthe Plant Fortifications has I M.D.C. as a sapling. 2. None of the saplings can attack or be taken control of by the Gardener until it becomes an immature plant. 3. The length of time it takes for a plant to eam Elder Plant bonuses is measured from when the plant reaches maturity, not from when it is planted. Bao House The Bao House is the closest thing that the Splieers have to a completely automated, self sufficient field shelter. On the Gardener's Host Armor, the Bao House appears to be a stout plant, about the size of a large coconut, with four wide leaves. Genetically based on the Baobab tree, the Bao House has a thick trunk which provides shelter to Splicers in the field. Immature plants have a comfortable sleeping area for two Splicer soldiers, and mature plants have room for six soldiers, or eight in cramped conditions. The tree is constantly in bloom, providing an ever ready supply of an extremely nourishing fruit, and clean drinking water, and mature plants even have a small vat which contains a small amount of the nutrient fluid to recharge hand weapons used by the Resistance. The plant is incredibly resistant to damage, but does not have any natural weapons, so Gardeners usually plant some defenses near immature Bao Houses to ensure that they have an opportunity to reach maturity. Bio-E Cost: 50 Growth Time: 8DI2+72 hours to grow from sapling to immature plant, and 2D4+ IO weeks to grow from immature to mature. M.D.C.: The trunk of the immature plant has 4D8x 10 M.D.C. while each branch has 3D6xlO M.D.C. There are 3D6 branches, rolled when the sapling is planted. The trunk of the mature plant has IOD8xlO M.D.C. while each branch has 4D6xlO M.D.C. There are 7D6 branches, rolled when the plant reaches maturity. The immature plant regenerates 2D8 M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and ID4 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates this amount every 30 minutes. Resource Payload: Each of these branches contains 2D4 clusters of ID6 fruits (2D6 clusters of ID6 fruits for mature plants). Each fruit contains enough nutrients to feed a Host Armor, War Mount, or Splicer soldier. Those with Carnivore metabolism can eat the fruit, but it tastes bad to them, and they have to eat twice as much to get the same benefit. Those with Omnivore and Herbivore metabolisms can eat the fruit and get twice the nutrients, so they only have to eat half as much of the fruit to satisfy their feeding requirements. Each fruit weighs I D4+ I pounds (0.9-2.25 kg). The plant also stores 4D12+50 (6Dl2+l00 for mature plants) gallons (205-372 liters; 403-654 liters when mature) of fresh water that it pulls from the moisture in the air. The 66

plant fills this reservoir at a rate of 2D4 gallons (7.6-30.4 liters) per hour (2D6 gallonsl7.6-45.6 liters per hour for mature plants), but only 1 gallon (3.8 liters) per hour (3 gallonsl1l.4 liters for mature plants) in extremely dry environments. The plant is able to survive indefinitely in its immature state. The nutrient bath contains enough to recharge 1 heavy weapon, 2 rifles, 4 pistols, or one suit of armor at a time. Between each recharge, the bath needs at least two hours to replenish its fluid. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every year of growth, the Bao House gets the following bonuses: +25 M.D.C. to the trunk, +10 M.D.C. per branch. Bio-Comm Roots Bio-Comm communication is one of the most significant marvels of Bio-Technology, replacing the now deadly radio as the primary means of military communication in the field. But Bio-Comms have a significant weakness in their lack of range. Even the best Bio-Comm system is limited to a meager 6 mile (9.6 km) range, which means that communication over long distances is still often carried out by courier. Using the same Bio-Technology that is used in basic BioComm systems, the Engineers created a type of organic relay station that can receive transmissions from friendly Bio-Comms and send them on, with a boosted signal, enabling Bio-Comm transmission over greater distances. There is some signal degradation, but it usually sets in after the second relay, and really only becomes significant after the third or fourth relay. The Bio-Comm root system starts out as a small, compact bundle of roots that looks like a six-legged starfish clinging to the Host Armor, but once it is planted, the roots spread, climbing trees, over rocks, or across any other obstacle in their way so they can cover as much surface area as possible. These roots contain the small resonance crystals used in Bio-Comms and use their own Bio-Energy to boost and relay the signals they receive. Immature plants can only recognize one Bio-Comm signal type, so they can only relay information from the creations of one Great House, but mature plants can interpret and relay signals from a variety of sources, allowing the relaying of signals from allied Houses. Bio-E Cost: 30 Growth Time: 3D10+1O hours to grow from sapling to immature plant, and 4D4+6 weeks to grow from immature to mature. M.D.C.: The main root mass of the plant has 3D4xlO+lO M.D.C. (5D6xlO+50 M.D.C. for mature plants) and is usually placed in a fairly remote location to protect it from discovery. There are six main roots that come off of the root mass like spokes on a wheel, each growing 100 feet (30.5 m) away (200 feet/61 m for mature plants) from the main root mass. Each of these has 4D8 M.D.C. (2D8xlO M.D.C. for mature plants) and is covered in thousands of smaller, hair-like roots that only have 104 S.D.C. (1 M.D.C. for mature plants) each. The immature plant regenerates 3D6 M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and 2D4 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates this amount every 30 minutes. Range: The plant can receive and relay Bio-Comm signals from its own Great House at a range of 6 miles (9.6 km). Therefore it can receive a signal from six miles out, and relay it to another recipient 6 miles away, allowing the signal to travel 12 miles (19.2 km) total. After the second relay (18 miles/28.8 km), the recipient must make a Bio-Comms skill roll with a -10% penalty to see if the message can be understood. After the third relay (24 miles/38.4 km), the penalty is -25%, and -40% after the fourth (30 miles/48 km). The signal is unrecognizable if a fifth relay is attempted. Payload: The plant is able to survive indefmitely in its immature state, but can only understand and relay Bio-Comm signals from one Great House. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: None. Transmission of signal is automatic. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): The Gar­ dener can attempt to reduce a penalty incurred by a Bio-Comm root that he is controlling. He needs to roll his Bio-Comm skill, and if successful, the penalty is reduced by 10%. Elder Plant Bonns: Per every 5 years of growth, the Bio-Comm Root gets the following bonuses: +2D12 M.D.C. to the main root mass, ID8 M.D.C. per root, and the penalty to relay the message is reduced by 1 %. Note: Mature plants also have the following ability: scrambled enemy Bio-Comm signals are stored in the memory of the plant for recovery and transmission later. Boom Shroom The Engineers' response to the Machine's use of Popper Mines is the Boom Shroom. This quick-growing fungus appears to be a cluster of four or five short, wide-capped mushrooms when growing on the Host Armor of a Gardener, but when removed and planted, the plant rapidly spreads, sprouting multiple fungi over a 10 foot (3 m) radius. The mushroom caps are filled with an explosive compound and covered with sharp rock shards that the plant grows using the minerals in the surrounding rock and soil. (Note: Due to its fungal nature, the Boom Shroom is the only plant that can grow on solid rock.) The shards allow the mushrooms to blend into their surroundings and terrain (-15% on Trap and Mine Detection rolls to detect the Boom Shrooms). When an enemy walks through this organic minefield, the exploding mushrooms start a chain reaction and detonate every Boom Shroom in range. When a Gardener takes control of the plant, he can force the Boom Shroom caps to hold the explosive pressure slightly longer before detonation, allowing the plants to deal even more damage when they release their shrapneL Bio-E Cost: 35 Growth Time: 2D4 hours to grow from sapling to immature plant, and ID6 weeks to grow from immature to mature. M.D.C.: On the immature plant, each mushroom has 2D 1 0 M.D.C. and there are 4D4 mushrooms, rolled when planted by the Gardener. For the mature plant, each mushroom has 4D 1 0+3 M.D.C. and there is the same number of mushrooms as the immature plant from which it grows. Boom Shrooms do not regenerate lost M.D.C. Damage: If a single mushroom is attacked and destroyed it will deal lDl2 M.D. to a 10 foot (3 m) area (2OlO M.D. to a 20 footl6 m area for mature plants). When the plant intentionally detonates, it will deal2DlO M.D. per Boom Shroom to a 50 foot 67

(15.2 m) area (3D12 M.D. per Boom Shroom to a 90 footl27.4 m area for mature plants). Additional Penalties: Robots caught in this field have a 60% chance to be knocked down (80% for mature plants), losing initiative and one attack. In addition to the same chance of being knocked down, Splicers and their creations without ear protection will be stunned for ID4 melees (15 seconds to I minute, double this duration for mature plants), meaning they will be -4 to strike, parry, and dodge for the duration. Targets in the area will automatically be hit when the mushrooms detonate, but they have the opportunity to roll with impact for half damage. The attacker must roll D20 to decide what defenders have to beat to successfully roll with impact. Range: The Boom Shrooms will sprout within a 20 foot (6 m) radius of where they are planted, but when detonated will damage a 50 foot (15.2 m) radius for immature plants or 90 foot (27.4 m) radius for mature plants. Payload: The field ofBoom Shrooms can only attack once, det­ onating all in the field. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: I attack per melee. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): The Gar­ dener can prevent the detonation of the Shrooms to affect more enemies, and to build up pressure in the mushroom caps to do additional damage. When controlled by a Gardener, the damage per immature Boom Shroom is 2D12+4 M.D. or 3D12+12 M.D. per mature Boom Shroom. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 5 years of growth, the Boom Shroom gets the following bonuses: +2 M.D.C. per mushroom, +2 to damage per mushroom. Boom Shrooms rarely ever reach this stage ofdevelopment. Bramble Wall The foundation for traditional fortifications made by the Gardener is the Bramble Wall. The wall is created from a super-dense tangle of thorny vines which twist and tie themselves into impossibly tangled knots, forming an incredibly durable wall. When on the armor, the plant covers that section in thin, thorny vines (no additional damage bonus, but it looks intimidating). The wall can be groomed as it grows to fit particular spaces, or to make choke points, but also can provide very limited and basic shelter for Splicers who are assigned to guard the area. Per each 10 foot (3 m) section ofthe wall, a small basic shelter can be crafted at the inside base of the wall, large enough for one human sized person to lay down, and about a 1 cubic foot (0.028 cubic meter) area for personal supplies. The plant has also been used by resourceful Gardeners as a temporary bridge across shallow rivers and waterways. Bio-E Cost: 15 Growth Time: 3D4+2 hours from sapling to immature plant, and 2D4+ 1 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: Each 10 foot (3 m) long section of an immature Bramble Wall has 100 M.D.C., or 300 M.D.C. for a mature plant. The immature plant regenerates 2Dl2 M.D.C. every 10 minutes, while mature plants regenerate ID4 M.D.C. every melee round. Damage: Running into, climbing, or being thrown into the immature Bramble Wall will deal2D6 M.D., or 2D6+3 M.D. ifthe wall is mature. Range: The immature Bramble Wall can grow 50 feet (15.2 m) long,5 feet (1.5 m) thick and 10 feet (3 m) high, and the mature Bramble Wall can grow 200 feet (61 m) long, 10 feet (3 m) thick and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Payload: Once grown, the plant will remain until destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: None. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): None. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every year of growth, the Bramble Wall gets the following bonus: +3Dl2 M.D.C. Glowfruit A true multi-purpose plant, the Glowfruit acts as both a source of food for Splicers in the field, as well as an incredibly destructive ordnance platform. On the Host Armor the sapling appears to be a one foot long jointed stalk, almost like a wooden insect or crab leg, that ends in a dull, wooden node about the size of a golf balL The plant is a short, stout plant with strong branches that each end in a hanging, bulbous, semi-translucent fruit about the size of a grapefruit, with some on mature plants growing to be about as big as a large melon. Each fruit is filled with a thick, sticky substance that is similar in consistency to honey, which provides enough nourishment for a human for a full day for immature plants and ID4 days for mature plants. The fruit of immature plants tastes very tart and is not very appetizing, but the fruit of the mature plant is very tasty and satisfying. For Host Armor and other Bio-Tech creations that need to feed, this has twice the nutritional value of ordinary organic matter ofthe same weight. The plant actually captures the sun's energy and constantly reinforces the nutrient rich fluid inside the fruit, causing them to have a very dim glow. When the plant senses an enemy nearby, is under attack, or is ordered to do so by its Gardener, the plant injects a catalyst fluid into the fruit, converting the energy stored in the fluid into a powerful explosive. The plant can then fling these fruits at nearby enemies, unleashing tremendous destructive force. Bio-E Cost: 25 Growth Time: 2D4 hours from sapling to immature plant, and 2D4+ I weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: The body ofthe immature plant has 8D8 M.D.C. There are 3D4 branches that each have 4D6 M.D.C. The trunk of the mature plant has 2D6xlO+20 M.D.C. There are 3D4 large branches on the mature plant (equal to the number rolled on the immature plant) that have 6D8 M.D.C., and an additional 3D6 smaller branches that have 4D6 M.D.C. The immature plant regenerates ID6 M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and ID4 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates this amount every 30 minutes. Damage: Each fruit on the immature plant does 4D6 M.D. to a 20 foot (6.1 m) radius. Each large fruit on the mature plant does 5D8+8 M.D. to a 40 foot (12.2 m) radius, while the small fruits do the damage listed for the fruit on the immature plant. Range: The immature plant can lob the bombs up to 130 feet (39.6 m), while the mature plant can lob the bombs up to 250 feet (76.2 m). Payload: Each branch ends in a small glowing fruit. Payload is dependent on the number of branches rolled when the sapling is 68

planted (3D4), and the number of small branches that sprout once the plant reaches maturity (3D6). Once all fruits on the immature plant are either thrown or eaten, the plant dies, but as long as at least one remains, the gardener can cultivate it into a mature plant. The mature plant can grow fruit to replace the ones lost. Large fruit takes 3D6 hours to grow back, while small fruit only takes 2D4+ 1 hours. The mature plant can regenerate lost or expended Glowfruit indefinitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, +5 to strike with thrown fruit. Matur~: 4 attacks per melee, +6 to strike with thrown fruit. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immature: +1 attack per melee, +2 to strike with thrown fruit. Mature: + 1 attack per melee, +3 to strike with thrown fruit. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 3 years of growth, the Glmvfruit gets the following bonuses: +8 M.D.C. to the trunk, +3 M.D.C. per branch, and an additionallD4 small branches grow with all of the rules above. Pboton Infuser Cannon When the Engineers were creating plants for the Gardeners to use, it became evident that they lacked a true ranged weapon for use against heavier robots and some of the ground attack aerial units. The main limitations were ammunition and range. Since the plants used as the genetic base already provided energy through photosynthesis, it was decided to try to supercharge their energy absorption and storage. By combining the genetic material for the heat projector cannon and the super light cells, the plant can take the stored energy within itself and infuse it with the energy beam it projects, effectively increasing its range and damage output. The Photon Infuser Cannon is covered in small, crystalline blooms that not only protect it from enemy laser blasts, but they actually absorb them, and store the energy within the plant to use in its own barrage of energy attacks. When ready to fire, the large, central lotus-like bloom folds its crystalline petals in upon themselves, forming a type of focusing chamber for the energy released, and directs the blast towards enemy targets with deadly accuracy. When on the Host Armor, the plant appears as a smaller version of its central, crystal lotus-like bloom that is approximately six inches (15 cm) across. Bio-E Cost: 30 Growth Time: 2D6+4 hours from sapling to immature plant. 4D4+2 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: The body of the immature plant has 8DlO M.D.C. The main bloom has 5D8 M.D.C. The body of the plant has 3D6xlO+20 M.D.C. The main bloom has ID8xlO+15 M.D.C. The Photon Infuser Cannon is immune to laser blasts, because it absorbs the energy. The immature plant regenerates 2D8 M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and lD4 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates this amount every 30 minutes. Damage: Immature plants do 2D 1 0 for a light blast or 6D 1 0 for a heavy blast, while mature plants do ID8xlO+10 per blast or 2D6xlO+20 for a heavy blast. Range: Immature plants have a range of 1,000 feet (305 m). Range can be increased to 2,000 feet (610 m) for one additional charge of energy. Mature plants have a range of 2,000 feet (610 m). Range can be increased to 4,000 feet (1219 m) at the cost of one extra charge of energy, or 6,000 feet (1829 m) for 2 additional charges. Payload: An innnature plant can use 3D8+4 charges before all of its energy is expended and it dies. Heavy blasts count as two charges. For every 2D6 M.D. of laser energy absorbed by the plant, 1 additional charge is added to the payload. The payload for mature plants is effectively unlimited. The plant can contain its maximum payload of 4D8+12 charges, but recharges 2D4 charges per hour in sunlight, or 1 charge for every ID6 M.D. of laser fire absorbed by the plant. The mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, +4 to strike with ranged attacks. Matur~: 4 attacks per melee, +6 to strike with ranged attacks. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immature: +1 attack per melee, +2 to strike with ranged attacks. Mature: +1 attack per melee, +3 to strike with ranged attacks. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 3 years of growth, the Photon Infuser Cannon gets the following bonuses: + ID 12 M.D.C. to the main body, +2D4 to the main bloom, +l to strike with ranged attacks. Razor Willow The Razor Willow tree is the Engineers' twisted version of weeping willow trees, with their long, vine-like branches and thick, sturdy trunks. The thin branches are stronger than steel, and are used to lash out and entangle the arms, legs, weapons, sensor nodes, and even heads of the machines and other enemies of the Great Houses. When the Razor Willow successfully wraps its thin branches around its intended target, the branches constrict quickly, causing their small, embedded high frequency blades to slice though the entangled target with the hopes of severing the limb or appendage. The whip-like branches of a full grown Razor Willow have been known to wrap up a Slicer Robot and literally slice it limb from limb in under 5 seconds. On the Gardener's armor, usually on the shoulder or back, the sapling looks like a dozen thin willow vines draping about two or three feet (0.6-0.9 m). The tree appears to the untrained eye to be a normal weeping willow tree, except there is a slight sheen to the branches, as though they are covered in dew, which is actually the embedded blades laced throughout the branches. With some Razor Willows growing to be up to 60 feet (18.3 m) tall, even the largest of the Machine's support robots are at risk of being sliced to ribbons by wandering too close to one ofthese deadly Bio-Tech creations. Bio-E Cost: 35 Growth Time: 3D8 hours from sapling to immature plant. 3D6+3 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: The trunk of the immature plant has 2D8x1O M.D.C. while each branch has 2D4xl0 M.D.C. There are 3D6 branches, rolled when the sapling is planted. Each of these branches contains clusters of4D8 razor vines which have 3 M.D.C. each. The trunk of the mature plant has 4D8xl0+20 M.D.C. while each branch has 3D4xlO M.D.C. There are 4D6 branches, rolled when the tree reaches maturity. Each of these branches contains clusters of 4D8 razor vines which have 4 M.D.C. each. The immature plant regenerates 3DlO M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and ID8 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates 69

this amount every 30 minutes. Destroyed vines will regrow in one hour for both immature and mature plants. Damage: Once a limb is entangled, the immature plant does 4D1O M.D. (8D10 M.D. for mature plants) per melee action of the plant. This is done automatically and does not count as an at­ tack by the plant once the limb is entangled. The number of tar­ gets entangled is only limited by the number of razor vines and the energy payload of the immature plant. Range: The immature plant can reach its vines 35 feet (10.6 m) but is only 20 feet tall (6.1 m). The mature plant can reach its vines 80 feet. The mature plant itself can grow to be 60 feet (18.3 m) tall, meaning the tree can even grab low flying enemies like the Flying Strike Ships and Hunter-Searcher Probes. Payload: The immature Razor Willow can entangle and continuously attack 2D8+4 targets before all of its energy is expended and it dies, while the mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack indefinitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immatur~: 4 attacks per melee, +5 to entangle. Mature: 5 attacks per melee, +6 to entangle. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immaturc: +1 attack per melee, +2 to entangle. Mature: + 1 attack per me­ lee, +3 to entangle. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 5 years of growth, the Razor Willow gets the following bonuses: +4D6 M.D.C. to the trunk, +2D6 M.D.C. per branch, +IDIO to damage, +1 to entangle. Sawgrass One of the most prevalent forms of plant life on the war-ravaged surface is grass, with a variety of species able to get a foothold and grow in even the harshest of environments. One particularly hearty species, Sawgrass, was found to have extremely desirable qualities as it had evolved a natural defense of rough tooth-like ridges to deter those creatures that would run through patches of it or try to eat it. The Engineers liked the simplicity of this natural defense so much that it was one of the main reasons experimentation began on biological plant defenses. Their version of Sawgrass was the first plant fortification developed and is still one of the most common defenses used by Gardeners because of its quick rate of gro\\lth and the large surface area it covers. The Engineers incorporated high frequency blades along the ridged edges of Sawgrass to slice anyone walking or running through it. While the damage is not as impressive as some of the other fortifications, it quickly adds up, slicing many drones to ribbons before they even find their way out of the trap. Sawgrass is nearly indistinguishable from its original form, and some Gardeners even plant non-enhanced Sawgrass in patches around it so it is easier for intruders to be caught unaware. The Bio-Engineered plant can grow up to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and will not attack those Splicers that it recognizes as friendly, allowing Gorehounds and War Mounts to stalk enemies in the high grasses and finish off those unfortunate enough to be caught wandering through the large patches. Bio-E Cost: 10 Growth Time: lD4 hours from sapling to immature plant. I D4 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: 1 M.D.C. per blade in an immature patch, and 2 M.D.C. per blade in a mature patch. There are hundreds of individual blades of Sawgrass in a patch sprouted from a sapling, and thousands in a mature patch. Energy weapons and rail guns do half damage. Melee attacks do full damage, while bladed weapons, chainsaws, and M.D. fire do double damage and are really the only way to clear a safe path through Saw grass. Sawgrass does not regenerate M.D.C. Damage: Varies depending on size and speed of the target. If less than 10 feet (3 m) tall or long, such as Steel Troopers or Slicer Bots, the Sawgrass does I M.D. (lD4 M.D. for mature Sawgrass) per melee action of the plant for each 5 miles per hour (8 km) of speed (rounded up) the target is traveling. Targets 10 to 20 feet (3-6.1 m) in height or length, such as the Assault Slayer, suffer lD4 M.D. (2D4 M.D. for mature Sawgrass) per melee action of the plant for each 5 miles per hour (8 km) of speed (rounded up) the target is traveling. Targets larger than 20 feet (6.1 m) in length, such as Battle Tracks and Land Dominators, will suffer 2D4 M.D. (4D4 M.D. for mature Sawgrass) per melee action of the plant for each 5 miles per hour (8 km) of speed (rounded up) the target is traveling. Range: The immature plant covers a 100 foot (30.5 m) radius from where the sapling is planted, while a mature plant covers a 200 foot (61 m) radius. Payload: l~mahl~: Since the energy to maintain the high frequency blades is not a tremendous amount, the plant can stay active and continuously attack for I D4 hours, rolled at the time of planting, as long as there are viable targets within its area. Mature: Unlimited. The mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack indefinitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, always strikes those passing through it. Mature: 5 attacks per melee, always strikes those passing through it. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): None. This plant is incapable of being controlled by the Gardener, though the Gardener can still sense enemies that are 'within the surface area ofthe plant. Elder Plant Bonus: None. Snap Dragons The Snap Dragons are plants used by the Gardeners often in extreme circumstances when the robot minions of the Machine attack surface encampments of the Splicer forces. They are capable of laying down a sticky, napalm-like substance similar to that used in the Burner Heavy Bio-Weapon over a wide area, so they can singlehandedly engage and damage multiple enemies. Snap Dragons are often planted in spaces that bottleneck, or where large troop movements are almost guaranteed. They will usually wait until the largest number of targets is in their area of effect before they release their deadly napalm, in order to maximize their damage output. Also, the close confines allow them to take advantage of their other natural defenses: the Snap Dragon Blooms. Their name comes from the fact that the bulbous, flowering nozzles that spray the napalm are also small, snapping maws lined with rows of sharp teeth, called dragon bulbs, that lash out at any enemy nearby. The mouths only snap and bite once the napalm spray is released, and serve as the plant's last line of de70

fense from attacks by the burning enemies surrounding it. When on the Host Annor, the plant appears as one of these fang-filled blooms that occasionally snaps its jaws shut or even yawns in its donnant state, showing off its rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. Bio-E Cost: 25 Growth Time: 2D4+2 hours from sapling to immature plant. 2D6 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: The body of the immature plant has ID4xlO+15 M.D.C. There are ID4+2 dragon bulbs that each have 2Dl2 M.D.C. The trunk of the mature plant has 3D4xlO+ 10 M.D.C. There are ID4+2 large dragon bulbs on the mature plant (equal to the number rolled on the immature plant) that have 3D12+24 M.D.C. and an additional 2D4 smaller bulbs that have 3D12 M.D.C. The unique skin on the plant helps to diffuse heat, making it impervious to fire and plasma. The immature plant regenerates 2D4 M.D.C. per hour on its trunk, and ID4 M.D.C. everywhere else. The mature plant regenerates this amount every 30 minutes. Damage: Expulsion ofbio-napalm does 3Dl2 M.D. for the immature plant, or 6D12 M.D. for the mature plant. Everyone in the area will continue to take 2D8 M.D. (3D8 M.D. for a mature plant) every melee round for 2D4 minutes. A bite from a dragon bulb will do 2D8+4 M.D. from immature plants, but the bulbs on the mature plants do 3D12+10 M.D. from a large bulb while a bite from a smaller bulb will do 2D8+8 M.D. Range: The bio-napalm covers a 10 foot (3 m) area for each dragon bulb on the plant. The individual dragon bulbs on mature plants can reach 5 feet (1.5 m) from the plant, while the bulbs on the mature plant can reach 10 feet (3 m). Payload: Immature: One napahn blast is stored in the plant, and each dragon bulb can attack 2D6+ 2 times before all of its energy is expended and it dies. Mature: Effectively unlimited. The plant can produce one bio-napalm attack per hour. The mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack indefinitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, +5 to strike everything within its area of effect with napalm (one roll to strike, and all defenders attempting to dodge out of the area need to roll higher than the attack roll), +3 to strike in melee combat. Mature: 4 attacks per melee, +7 to strike everything within its area of effect with napalm (one roll to strike, and all defenders attempting to dodge out of the area need to roll higher than the attack roll), +5 to strike in melee combat. Defenders are -3 to dodge the snapping attacks of the dragon bulbs because they are so quick. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immature and Mature: + 1 attack per melee, + 1 to strike with napalm, +2 to strike in melee combat. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 3 years of growth, the Snap Dragon gets the following bonuses: +1D6 M.D.C. to the trunk, +ID4 M.D.C. to each dragon bulb, + ID6 to bite damage, + 1 additional minute of burn time for its napalm. Spikeroot One the earliest of the plant defenses created by the Engineers was the Spikeroot, created immediately after Sawgrass. The plant is only recognizable above the surface by a main root mass that sits in the middle ofthe root system. The mass appears to simply be a bundle of thick, heavy roots that are twisted and tangled into a seemingly impossible knot. Below the surface though, is a different story. The root system of the Spikeroot covers a large area, and interspersed with the sustaining roots are two to four foot (0.6-1.2 m) long spikes that shoot through the surface of the earth and impale any machine or Splicer not recognized as friendly. The Gardener simply pulls the sapling, shaped like a large wooden spike, out of the annor and stakes it to the ground, where it grows the main root mass (skill rolls on Gardening and/or Botany still apply). Bio-E Cost: 20 Growth Time: I D4+ 1 hours from sapling to immature plant. ID6 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: The main root mass of the immature plant has 3D12 M.D.C. while the individual spikes have 2 M.D.C. each. The main root mass of the mature plant has 2D4xlO+ 12 M.D.C. while the individual spikes have 2D8 M.D.C. each. Spikeroot regenerates lost spikes in 2D12+24 hours. Damage to the main root mass regenerates at a rate of ID6 M.D.C. per 6 hours. Damage: Immature: 3DI0 M.D. Mature: 6D12 M.D. Range: The immature plant can attack 30 feet (9.1 m) from the main root mass, while the mature plant can attack 80 feet (24.4 m) from it. The main root mass grows where the sapling is planted. Payload: The immature plant will attack ID4+2 times, rolled at the time of planting, before all of its energy is depleted and it dies. The mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack indefmitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, +3 to strike, + 1 to parry, +2 to dodge by withdrawing spikes back into the ground. The main root mass cannot dodge. Mature: 4 attacks per melee, +6 to strike, +3 to parry, +4 to dodge by withdrawing spikes back into the ground. The main root mass cannot dodge. The spikes ofthe mature plant can only be dodged by those with the Automatic Dodge ability since they spring from the ground with such quickness and force. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immature and Mature: +1 attack per melee, +4 to strike, +2 to parry, +2 to dodge by withdrawing spikes back into the ground. The main root mass cannot dodge. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 3 years of growth, the spike root gets the following bonuses: +6 M.D.C. to main root mass, + 1 M.D.C. to individual spikes, + 1 to damage. Tangle Weed When used by Host Armor and War Mounts, the Tangle Foot Bio-Enhancement renders the user immobile for as long as the enemy is held. This loss of mobility sometimes discourages some from enhancing their equipment with this upgrade. When the Engineers were working on defensive plants, this enhancement seemed like a perfect jumping off point, especially since the plants they were working on were not going to be able to move anyway, so the loss of mobility was not deemed a hindrance. Both on the annor and on the ground, the plant resembles a thorny ground covering with burgundy and brown leaves. When enemies enter into the patch of Tangle Weed, they quickly find themselves overcome with a number of thorny vines wrapping up the legs and even reaching for the anns of 71

some enemies to hold them fast. The weeds do minimal damage, but they can quickly take someone out of the fight. Bio-E Cost: 15 Growth Time: 1D6+2 hours from sapling to immature plant. JDb " 1 weeks to grow from immature to a mature plant. M.D.C.: There are approximately 40 individual vines with 1 D8 M.D.C. each on an immature plant, and 100 individual vines with 2D8+5 M.D.C. each on the mature plant. Energy weapons and rail guns do half damage. Melee attacks do full damage, while bladed weapons, chainsaws, and M.D. fire do double damage to the Tangle Weed. Destroyed vines grow back in 2D12+24 hours. Damage: No damage for the immature plant, but ID4 M.D. for the mature plant. The real advantage of this attack is that a small cluster of thorny roots can entangle, trip and hold its victim to the ground with a Splicer P.S . of 40 (Supernatural Strength of 40 for mature plants) The vines can be cut, but I D8 M.D. (2 D8+5 M.D. for mature plants) is needed to cut through each one, and there are 3D4 (4D4 for mature plants) used per attack. The immature Tangle Weed can only effectively attack targets up to 10 feet (3 m) tall or long, so this will be completely ineffective against larger targets such as Assault Slayers and Battle Tracks. The mature Tangle Weed can attack large targets anywhere within the area it occupies, and has the strength to hold all but the largest of the Machine's creations, like Land Dominators. Range: The immature plant covers a 25 foot (7.6 m) radius from where the sapling is planted, while the mature plant covers a 50 foot (15.2 m) radius from where the sapling is planted. Payload: The immature plant will attack 1D4+4 times, rolled at the time of pl anting, before all of its energy is depleted and it dies. The mature, self sustaining plant will be able to attack indefinitely until it is destroyed. Autonomous Combat Capabilities: Immature: 3 attacks per melee, +3 to strike , +4 to entanglelincapacitate the legs, + I to entangle the arms. Mature: 4 attacks per melee, +5 to strike, +5 to entangle/incapacitate the legs, +4 to incapacitate the arms. Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): Immature: + I attack per melee , - 2 to strike, +2 to entangle/incapacitate the legs. +2 to entangle the arms. Mature: + I attack per melee, + 3 to strike, +3 to entangle/incapacitate the legs, +2 to entangle the arms. Elder Plant Bonus: Per every 4 years of growth, the Tangle Weed gets the following bonuses: +2 M.D.C. per vine, +1 to damage, + 1 to entangle. Tormenter O.C.C. It is well known to almost everyone in the Human Resistance that Saints receive their powers from the monstrous larval form of the alien beings that become Gene-Pools and Librarians. There is another fusion of a human and a larval alien with amazing abilities, but they become almost the complete opposite of their counterparts. Like a da rk mirror of the well-known healers are the Tormenters. Imbued with enhanced combat skills and the ability to inflict pain, damage and even memory loss with a mere touch, Tormenters bring terror wherever they go. No one is sure exactly what incubates inside the human host. Tormenters tend to disappear shortly before maturity . If anyone knows what happens to these Tormenters or what emerges from them, they have kept silent on the su bject so far. Rumors run wild. Comparing the compassion of Saints to the cold, alien beings they incubate has led most to conclude that any being able to grant the Tormenters their terrible powers as a larva, must be truly horrific in adult form. While they live among humankind, these alien-human hybrids serve as elite soldiers and experts in interrogation. Their prowess on the battlefield makes them favorites of other front-line forces. Few things are as inspiring to a group of Roughnecks facing the Machine as seeing a couple Tormenters take up positions nearby. Everyone knows that Tormenters deal more damage and take fewer hits. Yet for all their fighting skill, it is when they are alone with someone who knows something that Tormenters really shine. Anyone captured in battle or suspected of spying is likely to be questioned by a Tormenter sooner or later. Their abilities and their impressive appearance make Tormenters ideal for finding out what a prisoner knows. Tormenters can equally well play the "good cop" to a Skiniob or the "bad cop" to a normal human. Because of their reputation for ruthlessness in their work, most people are wary around Tormenters. Few love them, most fear them, and they like it that way. Despite their fearsome reputation, most Tormenters are truly gregarious and form a few close friendships with people of all kinds. Just as with the Saints, the alien larva takes up residence in the host's abdomen. The eight tentacles of the larva poke out through the body around the waist. Each tentacle is 3-4 feet 72

(0.9-1.2 m) long and can be made to hang close to the body and can be covered by a cloak or robe. Most Tonnenters, however, do not try to hide what they are and will use the tentacles to open doors, wave hello and use items. The tentacles are as dexterous as hands, and Tonnenters can wield weapons and use tools with the tentacles at no penalty. The tentacles are thinner than those of the Saint, and other Saints, Librarians, Engineers, Geneticists and others very familiar with Saints will not be fooled by a Tonnenter trying to pass as a Saint. Others, however, might mistake a Tonnenter for a Saint if they are not careful. Most Great Houses do not officially sanction the impersonation of a Saint, however, it can be helpful in the Tormenter's line of work and it is known to happen. Tonnenters do not enjoy any kind of "hands-off' status. In fact, since they are usually up to no good (from a rival's point of view), Tonnenters are often targeted for immediate elimination. This is especially true if the Great Houses concerned are engaged in a feud. The only exception might be if the Tonnenter has been observed "tonnenting" the Machine by fighting its robots. Tormenter O.C.C. Powers & Abilities: 1. Tormenter's Altered Body: The union of human and alien creates a Mega-Damage creature with Splicer P.S. and 6D6x1O plus the P.E. attribute number in M.D.C. Add an additional 1D8 M.D.C. per level of experience. A Tonnenter Bio-Regenerates ID6+3 M.D.C. per melee (15 seconds) and fatigues five times slower than nonnal humans. Can remain awake and effective for 36 hours before needing to sleep. Even then a Tonnenter will be fully recovered after just 10 hours of sleep. Nonnally only needs 6 hours of rest per 24 hours to feel completely rested. 2. Battle Powers: The eight tentacles of a Tonnenter are used in a manner similar to the Saint's, but provide completely different powers. The tentacles merge with the being or object affected. All Battle Powers require at least two tentacles, but some require more. A Tonnenter cannot activate more Powers than he has tentacles available. Activating each Power is considered a melee action and in most cases the duration is until cancelled. Canceling a Battle Power does not require a melee action. Select 3 of the following powers at first level. Select an additional two powers at third level and one more at levels 6, 10 and 14. Inflict Pain: Tentacles are placed at either end of a limb, on the sides of the chest, or at the temples. Horrible, debilitating pain passes through the body area between the tentacles, but no damage results. Duration is until the tentacles are removed. Victims are -4 to strike, parry and dodge while the pain lasts. Typically used as a method oftorture. Inflict Damage: Tentacles are placed at either end of a limb, on the sides of the chest, or at the temples. Inflicts ID4 damage direct to Hit Points and is painful! Because the damage is being dealt internally by the tentacles, if more than 10 damage is inflicted at once (when multiple sets of tentacles are used), the victim must make a save vs pain or lose consciousness. Takes ID4 melee rounds to inflict the damage (the Tonnenter must [md just the right nerves to stimulate). Typically used as a method oftorture. Debilitation: Tentacles are pressed to the forehead. Victim is -15% on skills, -3 vs mind control and poison and -2 on all other saving throws. These effects last as long as the tentacles are attached and for 4D6 rounds afterwards (1-6 minutes). Usually used against prisoners but could be used on a pinned combatant. Cannot be used in combat as an attack except against a pinned opponent. Troth Extraction: Three tentacles are wrapped around the victim's head. The effect works like truth serum. After five minutes of gentle flexing from the tentacles (the sensation would be relaxing under other circumstances), victims get a saving throw, but must beat a 14 (bonuses from a high M.E. also apply). On a successful save there are no ill effects. On a failed save the victim will truthfully answer one or two simple questions, then fall asleep for 1 D4 hours. Mind Wipe (counts as two selections): Four tentacles are placed at evenly spaced points around the head. The Tonnenter can erase anything from the victim's mind; the memory of any past event, a skill, a name, anything. The process takes about ten minutes for each memory erased. The memory loss is temporary and wiped memories return in ID4+1 days. Victims of Mind Wipe get a chance to save versus the attack, but must beat a 15 (bonuses from a high M.E. also apply). On a successful save the victim retains all memories, but has a terrible headache (-10% on all skills and -Ion initiative for the next ID4xlO minutes). On a failed save, the headache is worse (-15% on all skills, -2 on initiative and -1 to strike and parry for the next 2D4x 10 minutes) and the targeted memory is gone! Melee Expert: Any handheld melee weapon wielded by two tentacles receives + 1 to strike, +2 to parry and deals + 1 D6 damage. The effect lasts until cancelled. Peifect Aim: Three tentacles grip and merge with any handheld ranged weapon and provide an additional +2 to strike. In addition the weapon deals double damage (a critical hit) on an unmodified roll of 18-20, and triple damage on a Natural 20. Weapon Mastery: Tentacles are touched to the temples. This can be perfonned on the Tonnenter himself or on another fighter standing nearby, but no more than once per person. Any weapon held in the character's hands receives +1 to strike. Designated Defense: Tentacles just focus on parrying incoming attacks. Works best in melee combat. The tentacles are Mega-Damage structures and can parry punches from robots or other Splicers. The Tonnenter receives +3 to parry for every pair of tentacles designated to defense. Battle Attunement (counts as two selections): Six tentacles are held straight out from the Tonnenter except that the last foot and a half (0.46 m) of them are turned alternately up or down. This allows them to sense the environment around the Tormenter, similar to antennae. While they are engaged in this way the Tonnenter gains +4 to Automatic Dodge. This Auto-Dodge ability can be used to attempt to dodge any type of attack, including bullets, energy blasts, and those from behind or surprise. This ability can be used as long as the Tonnenter desires. However, while the Attunement is in effect, the Tonnenter will not Bio-Regenerate. 3. Tormenter Insanities: Doing battle with the Machine on the front lines and with possible spies on the home front, the Tonnenter's life is filled with violence. Worse is that the Tormenter is often the source of the violence. The mental toll of their work begins to show in Tonnenters right from the start. 73

Things only get worse the better they are and the longer they keep doing it. Of course, it doesn't help that they also have a monster growing inside their chest! Roll on or pick from this table at levels 1, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 14; re-roll any duplicate results, unless stated otherwise. The Game Master may suggest additional rolls when a deeply traumatic experience results from the gaming experience. For those insanities described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, replace the word "Biotic" with "Tormenter" where appropriate. 01-05% Compulsive Liar. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 149. 06-10% Kleptomaniac. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 149. 11-15% Obsession: Secrecy. This Tormenter tries to keep everything about himself secret. Hates when others can correctly identify his motives and movements. Thrives on being "dark and mysterious." 16-20% Obsession: Flying. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 21-25% Obsession: Self-Loathing. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 26-30% Obsession: Fighting and Competition. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 31-35% Obsession: Bio-Tech. Loves it and wants to see new items and enhancements in action. Advocates for the benefits of Bio-Tech whenever possible and won't hear a word against it. Will pester Geneticists and Engineers about current projects. 36-40% Obsession: Danger. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 41-45% Obsession: Robots. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 46-50% Obsession: Cleanliness. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 148. 51-55% Obsession: Blood. Either loves it or hates it (player's choice). If the Tormenter loves blood he may cut prisoners just to see them bleed or thrill to gut animals and examine corpses. If the Tormenter hates blood he will shy away from open wounds, be disgusted by the sight of blood and may consider those who bleed to be somehow weak and inferior. 56-60% Phobia: Saints. This Tormenter fears the Saints, who are essentially the polar opposite of the Tormenters. Feels that Saints can somehow destroy Tormenters if they are left alone together. This is really a form of respect for the Saints' powers, but manifests as mistrust. 61-65% Phobia: The Change. Fears the inevitable moment when the alien matures and the host dies. The human part fears death and the alien part fears the end of human interaction. Tries to use Battle Powers as little as possible in hopes that that will delay the inevitable. May discourage others from becoming Tormenters. 66-70% Phobia: War Mounts. When facing War Mounts of any kind (including Gorehounds), the character feels unsure and hesitant (-1 to initiative). When facing War Mounts that are particularly large or look particularly mean, the character feels even less confident and may even desert the battle (25% chance). 71-75% Phobia: Injury. Fears being injured despite regenerative abilities. Takes care to wear protective garments (elbow pads, face shield) whenever there is even a small chance of injury. Will avoid field posts and combat if at all possible. 76-80% Memory Blackout. This Tormenter keeps work and life separate. Completely separate. While using any type of Battle Power and for 2D4 minutes afterward, the character cannot remember anything about the rest of his life (not his address, not his children). Similarly, he cannot later remember anything done while using his Battle Powers (not who he beat up, not why). Going into combat is a bad time to forget the orders he received this morning, just as being stopped by a couple of Scarecrows is a bad time to forget why he has blood on his hands. The Tormenter retains full knowledge of his own identity and all skills and other training at all times. These split sets of memories may eventually result in true multiple personality disorder. Note: The development ofmultiple personalities is left up to the player and G.M. 81-85% Psychosis: Persecution Complex. Sees the inhuman members of the Human Resistance (including himself) as used and abused. Tries to convince people to have more love for the Librarians, Engineers, Saints and Tormenters who make the Resistance possible. Will go out of the way to prove the good intentions of these alien beings. 86-90% Psychosis: Violent Rage. Described in SpJicers® Role Playing Game, page 149. 91-94% Psychosis: Defeatist. Is sure the Human Resistance is doomed to failure and is always mildly depressed as a result. Will not refuse missions, but assumes that in the long run they will make no difference. Is usually very vocal about these feelings. 95-97% Psychotic Personality Disorder. Described in Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 149. 98-00% Psychosis: Crippling Fear of Robots. This Tormenter has a debilitating fear of one particular type of robot (choose anyone type such as Flying Strike Ship, Slicer Robot or Skitter Pod). When facing this type of robot the Tormenter automatically fails versus Horror Factor and suffers the penalties for doing so. In addition, the fearful Tormenter always suffers -1 to strike, parry and dodge when fighting the fear-inducing robot type. Note: Unlike other insanities, this one can be selected multiple times. Select a new robot type each time this insanity is rolled. Tormentor O.C.C. Alignment: Any, but tend toward selfish (50%) or evil (35%). Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 10, P.E. 14, a high M.A. is recommended but not mandatory. Attribute Bonuses: +2D6 to P.P. (minimum 18), + ID6 to P.S. (minimum 16) and +ID6 to P.B. (the humanoid parts, anyway) after the union between man and the larval creature. O.C.c. Bonuses: Splicer P.S., +2 attacks per melee (these attacks must be made with the tentacles), +2 strike, +1 dodge, +2 roll with fall, punch or impact, +2 to save vs mind control, +2 to save vs toxins and poisons, + I 0% to save vs coma, +4 to entangle with tentacles. These bonuses are in addition to any attribute bonuses. Base S.D.C.: Not applicable, see the Tormenter's Altered Body. Common Skills: Standard. 74

O.C.c. Skill Programs: Martial Artist, Field Intelligence (+15%) .Q!: Espionage (+10%) and two Skill Programs of choice (except Host Pilot, War Mount Rider, Wingman, Medical Doctor and Medical Coroner). Elective Skills: Select six additional skills at first level, plus one additional Elective Skill at levels 3, 6, 9 and l3. Communications: Any (+5). Domestic: Any. Espionage: Any (+5%). Medical: First Aid only. Military: Any (+ 10%). Physical: Climbing, Fencing, Juggling, Running, Prowl, Gen­ eral Athletics, Physical Labor or Swimming. Rogue: Find Contraband, Streetwise, Use & Recognize Poi­ son only. Scienee: Any (+5%). Technical: Any (+5%). Transportation: Any, except Pilot Wing Packs, Host Armor Combat and War Mount Combat. Wilderness: Dowsing, Fasting or Land Navigation only. W.P.s: Any. Secondary Skills: The character can select four Secondary Skills at level one plus one additional Secondary Skill at levels 2, 4, 7, 11 and 15. These are additional areas of knowledge and start without special O.c.c. bonuses. Standard Equipment: Regular fatigues, a dress uniform, two sets of ordinary clothes, some simple interrogation tools (plastic tie-down type restrains, clamps, a large scalpel or knife), Slap Patch, Face Wrap (gas mask), tinted goggles, one weapon for each W.P. with any required ammunition, backpack, water skin, emergency food rations (2-3 week supply), a horse or Mega-Horse for transportation and some personal items. Other specific equipment is assigned as needed. M.D.C. "Living" Body Armor: A suit of living body armor modified to accommodate the eight tentacles and personalized with 2D6xl0 Bio-E for additional enhancements of choice. Selections are limited to the categories of Eyes & Vision, Other Sensory Features, Offensive Bio-Weapons, Ranged Bio Weapons and/or Extra M.D.C. (2D6+18 M.D.C. per 10 Bio-E). Tormenters who intend to focus on combat typically choose Chitinous Armor for the protection it offers, while those interested in a more subtle approach tend to go for the Leatherback Armor because it has no movement penalties. Money: Has 3D6xlOO credits in precious metals, relics and trade items and 4D6xlOO in available credits. As always, money can be spent now on additional equipment or saved for later. The Upside: You are one of the most impressive fighters in the Great House and you don't need to rely on Host Armor, a War Mount or the Elixir of Life to achieve your powers. You just are what you are. You can enjoy both the respect of your fellow warriors and the fear of your enemies. Very few people will stand in the way of your goals and those who do rarely can do so for long. The Downside: Of the fighters in the Resistance you are perhaps the least in touch with the rest of humanity. Most people assume that you had only selfish reasons for making the saerifiees that bonded you with the young alien. You also know that all that power will eventually kill you 2D8+ 25 years from now when the alien inside matures. Plus, until then you are going slowly crazy. Experience Table: Use the same Experience Table as the Dreadguard found on page 183 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game. Geneticist O.C.C. As powerful as the Engineers and Gene-Pools are, they are large and immobile creatures. They are ill-suited to exploration, to seeing their work in action and to interaction with the average human being. Most Gene-Pools attract to themselves scholarly individuals known as Geneticists. These individuals serve as a human face to the whole process of Bio-Enhancement. Geneticists are normal humans who take a special interest in the Gene-Pools and Bio-Technology. They assist both the Gene-Pools to execute the orders of the Librarians and the other members of the Human Resistance to deal with the often horrific aspects of Bio-Enhancement. They also pursue their own research on the side into genetic codes and they tinker with making their own creatures. In some ways the Geneticist is the Gene-Pool's answer to the Scarecrow. Geneticists work directly with the Gene-Pool and are typically outside the direct control of the Warlord of the Great House. They are granted minor enhancements from the Gene-Pool that assists them in their work. The average Gene-Pool has 3D 10 Geneticists working with it. These scientists are responsible for caring for the larval forms of Host Armors and War Mounts. They are also the ones who facilitate all enhancements made to Bio-Tech weapons, Biotics, War Mounts, Wing Packs and Host Armors. When a Packmaster is ready to enhance his Gorehounds or a Dreadguard has Bio-E to spend on her Host Armor, they go see a Geneticist to schedule the upgrades. There are rumors that the powers of the Geneticists come from mating with the formerly human Engineer attached to the Gene-Pool. These are only malicious (or possibly jealous) rumors. The truth is much more mundane by the standards of the average Splicer. Geneticists subject themselves directly to minor Bio-Enhancement. By entering the murky waters of the GenePool they receive enhanced memory or heightened dexterity or even an enhanced range of vision. They view these changes as improvements that make them effectively a miniature (and mobile) version of the Engineer. They lose some of their humanity in the process, it is true, but they also become more capable than the average human. Working so closely with the Gene-Pools is not all good, however. When they are not cooped up in the deep caverns where their Gene-Pool is, Geneticists are typically making careful scientific observations of Splicers in action in order to assess how their Bio-Teeh is performing. Geneticists have little time truly to themselves. In addition, Geneticists are constantly exposed to the gene-laden waters of the Gene-Pool. This constant exposure 75

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eventually causes random mutations. The mutations only get worse the longer the Geneticist works with Bio-Tech. While few Geneticists become truly crazy, many become "a little off" They are likely to be more interested in their research than in other people and consequently their social skills suffer. There is also a tendency for them to become obsessed with their power to create and control other life forms. More than one Geneticist has ended up repUlsive, reclusive and more than a little like the stereotypical "mad scientist," complete with murderous minions and maniacal laughter. Geneticist O.C.C. Powers & Abilities: 1. Bio-E Augmentation: Their close association with Gene-Pools gives Geneticists the option of minor Bio-Enhancements to assist them in their work. Select two enhancements from the following list at first level and one additional enhancement at levels 4, 7, 10 and 13. Speed Reading: This mental enhancement gives great proficiency with the written word. The character can read 30 pages a minute with normal comprehension. Highly technical subjects may require twice as long (15 pages a minute) and a second reading. Total Recall: This ability allows the character to remember (nearly) everything he has ever read or heard. Roll percentile: 01-60%: perfect memory, remembers every word and in the exact order, 61-85%: good memory, all the important ideas are recalled but details may be lost, 86-00%: basic recall, only a sketch ofthe most essential parts can be remembered. Facility with Numbers: +20% to Basic Math and Advanced Math skills. The character can also keep long strings of numbers in his head with ease and can mentally perform difficult calculations without the aid of a calculator or even pencil and paper. Encyclopedic Knowledge: Select three additional skills from any category. In addition, receive a one-time 5% bonus on all other skills when this enhancement is chosen. Delicate Fingers: + 1 to P.P. and +15% to all skills requiring fine dexterity of the fingers such as Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, Field Surgery, Sewing and Play Musical Instrument. This ability also helps when preparing samples for examination, making injections and during surgeries. Bio-Comm: A standard Bio-Comm unit (see Splicers@ Role Playing Game, page 80) is grown onto or implanted inside the skull (character's choice). While they can speak to anyone else with a Bio-Comm, most Geneticists use it only to keep in constant communication with their Gene-Pool. }.ficroscope Eye: One eye is permanently covered by an organic tube (3-6 inchesl7.6-15 cm long) housing magnification lenses. These allow higher magnification than standard Macro-Vision. The internal structure of cells and even DNA can be seen. The area of focus is tiny, less than 114 inch (6 mm) square. In addition, most things will still require proper preparation and chemical staining to be seen (a successful roll on the Biology or Genetics skill). Only one eye is transformed, the other remains unaffected. Neural Link-Up: A port is grown somewhere on the Geneticist's head (usually the temple) that can couple with a neurological connector similar to those used to connect Outriders to their War Mounts. The Geneticist can use the port to link directly to the Gene-Pool in order to communicate and share information without the need for words. Geneticists can also "download" memories and experiences from War Mounts as a way to study their performance. When not connected to anything, the open port tends to ooze neurolytic jelly that quickly becomes a sickly yellow crust ifnot wiped away. Nutrient Fluid Storage Bladder: A small amount of the nutrient fluid used to feed all Bio-Tech weapons and armors can be stored inside the Geneticist's body. The fluid pouch is typically grown on the inside of the arm and a small tube running to the end of the first fmger dispenses the fluid wherever the Geneticist points. There is enough fluid to feed two weapons or one suit of armor for ID4 days. Less commonly, a Geneticist might have an extra-large fluid bladder on the outside of the arm or on the back with enough fluid to feed four weapons or two suits of armor for ID4+2 days. In either case, the depleted Bio-Tech device must be sprayed with fluid and then given a full hour to absorb the nutrients before it is fully functional again. Though it can be, this ability is not typically used to supply troops in the field. The fluid is reserved for feeding the Geneticist's own experimental devices during testing or to revive damaged or discarded items just long enough to extract performance information or genetic material. The nutrient fluid is not produced by the storage bladder and the Geneticist must return to a Gene-Pool to replenish the supply. The bladder can keep the fluid fresh and active for up to two months. Butcher's Organ: This is the most advanced Geneticist enhancement and not available to first level characters. The unit works much the same as the standard Butcher's Organ (see Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 86) except that the flesh of any living thing (including animals and Bio-Technology) can be consumed. The flesh cannot be cooked, it must be eaten raw. The prospect of eating raw flesh is disturbing enough for most people, but the idea of eating raw human flesh is downright horrific. However, sacrifices must be made in the name of science! Usually the character picks up a taste for rare meats which carries over into everyday eating habits. The extent of the re-created memory depends on the exact nature of the living thing. A Bore Pistol with no sensory organs will not give a picture of the outside world, only an impression of how well it was "feeling" (operating) before it died. Animals do have eyes and ears but still perceive the world very differently from humans. Base Skill is 15% +3% per level of experience. There is a +20% bonus for animals, +40% for all War Mounts, and +60% for other humans. The Butcher's Organ always re-creates the last few (ID4xIO) minutes of the creature's life, but on a failed roll, nothing meaningful is gleaned from the experience. 2. Bio-E Gifts: Because of their close connection to Engineers and Gene-Pools, beginning at third level, Geneticists can grant Bio-E to fellow Splicers directly. They can give a maximum of 10 Bio-E +1 per level of experience to anyone as they see fit. These gifts of Bio-E can be used to extract money or other favors from Splicer soldiers or can be given in gratitude for acts ofkindness or for completing missions that directly benefit the work of the Geneticist and the Gene-PooL Geneticists have ID4xlO+20 Bio-E per level to dispense as they wish. This Bio-E cannot be used on themselves or on their Homunculi (described below). It can only be given away. A Geneticist cannot save more than 150 Bio-E at a time. Any additional Bio-E 77

earned that exceeds the limit is simply lost, thus most Geneticists have under 100 Bio-E saved up at anyone time. 3. Homunculi: Geneticists can claim one "failed" larval Host Armor at fifth level. The Homunculus can be of any metabolism type and receives the respective Bio-E bonus for its metabolism. In addition, Geneticists receive 2D8+ 10 Bio-E per level (starting at fifth level) to spend on experimenting with and upgrading the features of their Homunculi. This Bio-E cannot be spent in any other way. Geneticists can claim another Homunculus at levels 8, 11 and 14. Complete details on the Homunculi are given below. 4. Random Mutations: In addition to the willingly-received enhancements listed above, the Geneticist is at risk of random mutations from continued exposure to the genetic material floating in the Gene-Pool. It is impossible for Geneticists to avoid contact with the Gene-Pool's fluids because of their constant work with Bio-Technology. Mutations become more frequent the longer Geneticists work with the Gene-Pool because their own genetic code is increasingly unstable. Roll percentile once on the following table at levels 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, l3, 14 and 15. The effects from most mutations stack together (including when a duplicate mutation is rolled). Occasionally, however, mutations are mutually exclusive (e.g., Herbivore and Vampiric Metabolism, or Completely Bald and Fur Coat). If a conflicting mutation is rolled, the new mutation replaces the old. At the G.M.'s option, players may select new mutations from the following table (or invent their own) rather than roll. Geneticist Random Mutation Table: 01-02% ~o Further Mutation. 03% Bio-Energy Expulsion Vent: A fully-functional weapon grows somewhere on the torso or arms! Functions exactly like the standard Bio-Enhancement (does M.D.) except that the Vent itself is S.D.C. See Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 98, for full details. 04%) Smarter: Better neural connections add + lD6 to I.Q. 05% Piercing Eyes: The character just has "the look," add +lD6 to M.A. (new minimum M.A. is 17). 06-08% Super Healing: Heals incredibly quickly, recovers one Hit Point and 2 S.D.C. per hour. 09% Stronger: An increased muscle mass adds + ID6 to P.S. 10-12% Tougher Body: Increase current S.D.C. by 50% (round up). 13% Wings: A pair of wings begins to grow out of the character's back. They will be fully functional in 2D4 weeks and can be leathery, feathered or insect wings (player's choice). Once they are fully-formed they provide true flight with full bonuses. However, speed, maximum altitude and damage capacity (the wings are S.D.C. not M.D.C.) are half that of normal Bio-Enhancement wings. See Splicers@ Role Playing Game, page 93, for full details. 14-16% ~eeds Less Sleep: An increased metabolism reduces the character's need for sleep to just ID4+ I hours a night to feel fully rested. The character does have to eat a little more than normal to fuel the more active body. 17-19% Inner Calm: Nothing seems to stress the character out, add +2 to M.E. 20-22% Resistance to Heat: Same as the Bio-Enhancement (see Splicers@ Role Playing Game, page 85). Temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 C) have no effect, and heat and fire hotter than that, including plasma weapons, does half damage. 23-25% Resistance to Electricity: Same as the Bio-Enhancement (see Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 84). Stun weapons and electrical jolts up to 2,000 volts have no effect and stronger electrical discharges, including lightning, do half damage. 26-28% Gills: Either gill slits like a fish or feathery external structures like some amphibians (player's choice) grow on the neck. The character can now breathe underwater. 29-31 % Hoofed Feet: The feet are replaced by hard, horselike hooves. These hooves add + 2D6+4 to speed attribute but their clip-clopping makes sneaking around difficult (-15% to Prowl rolls). 32% Forked Tongue: Tongue becomes long and forked like a snake's and very sensitive to airborne tastes. Can identifY common odors and track by taste alone at a skill of 35% +2% per level of experience. Specific odors can be identified and tracked to their source at a skill of20% +2% per level of experience. The sense is fouled by rain, high winds (-20%) or by other powerful tastes (such as the smoke from a fire). Range is 1,000 feet (305 m). 33-36% Claws on Hands and Feet: Nails turn into small claws that add +ID6+3 S.D.C. to the character's normal punch and kick damage. 37-39% Infrared Vision: Can now see into the infrared spectrum, which is normally used by the targeting systems of the Machine's robots. Can see laser and infrared targeting beams and can trace them back to their source. The eyes take on a bloodshot look especially when using the infrared vision. Range is 1,000 feet (305 m). 40-42% Super Hearing: The character has advanced hearing and can make out whispers at 300 feet (91.5 m). 43-45% Ultraviolet Vision: Can now see into the ultraviolet spectrum, which is used by some security systems of the Machine. The eyes take on a bit of a "bug-eyed" look, especially when using the ultraviolet vision. Range is 1,000 feet (305 m). 46-48% Resistance to Cold: Same as the Bio-Enhancement (see Splicers@ Role Playing Game, page 84). Temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 C) have no effect, and magic and super-cold attacks do half damage. 49-51% Sharp Teeth: The eharacter now has a mouth full of pointy teeth. A bite attack does ID8 S.D.C. but does not get the benefit of any P.S. damage bonuses (a straight roll only). Only P.P. strike bonuses are added to the strike roll for this attack. 52-53% Carnivore Metabolism: Character becomes almost completely carnivorous. Has a taste for meat and meat only. The rarer the better! Others may find this disturbing. Needs to eat 5-8 pounds (2.25-3.6 kg) of meat a day. Can still eat vegetables and grains for the taste of them, but derives little nutrition from them. 54-56% Scales: Add ID6+4 to S.D.C. but reduce P.B. by 3 points. 78

57-59% Shark Skin: Tiny barbs grow all over the character's body. Add +lD6 S.D.C. to body blocks, strikes with the elbows, shouldcrs or knees, and to any sort of rough contact engaged in by the character. 60-62% Flattened Nose: Nostrils become thin slits; reduce sense of smell by 50% and taste by 25%. 63-64% Herbivore Metabolism: Character becomes completely herbaceous. Needs to eat 8-12 pounds (3.6-5.4 kg) of plant material a day and chew cud. Others may find this disturbing. Can eat fruits, vegetables and grains, but the majority of food must be high in cellulose like hay, leaves and grass. May still like the taste of meat, but will be unable to digest it fully and it will likely make the character sick. 65-67% Excessive Mucus: Mucus is always flowing from the nose and oozing from the pores. Attackers trying to pin or hold are -2, but the Geneticist looks gross. 68-700/0 Fur Coat: A coat of fur resembling anyone type of dog (player's choice) grows all over the character's body. 71-73% Weakened Hearing: Reduce sense of hearing by 50%. The character is -4 to initiative and -2 to parry and dodge rolls. 74-76% Completely Bald: Complete loss of all body hair, reduce P.B. by 2 and the character is at greater risk for chills and sunburns. 77-79% Dry Skin: Reduce S.D.C. by ID4+2 and the character is always itchy. 80-83% Sensitivity to Light: -Ion initiative when in normal artificial light and -2 when in full sunlight. Character only feels comfortable at night or in dim lighting, even if he cannot see in the dark. 84-86% Loss of Balance: Something is interfering with the working ofthe character's inner ear, -30% to Maintain Balance. 87-89% Delicate System: The smallest thing will knock the body's system out of whack. -2 to save vs diseases, toxins and poisons. 90-93% Nerve Pain: Always in minor pain, reduce P.E. by 2 and speed by 25%. 94% Sleepy All the Time: Character needs up to 10 hours of sleep a night, and even then is -Ion Perception Rolls and -2 on initiative. 95-97% Boils: Reduce P.E. by 1 and the boils are tender and susceptible to breaking open whenever the character falls, is struck or takes any kind of impact (even if wearing armor). There is a 35% chance of breaking open a boil for every 5 S.D.C. the character suffers. There is a 25% chance for every 15 M.D.C. sustained by the character's armor. For each boil broken, suffer 2 S.D.C. of damage. Once all S.D.C. is gone, there are no more boils to break but they will re-appear as the character heals. 98% One Leg Mutates to an Insect Leg: Reduce P.P. by 3 points, speed by 50%, and receive -15% to Maintain Balance because the pointy appendage is difficult to balance on. 99% One Arm Mutates to a Tentacle: Skills that require fingers or a delicate touch such as Palming, Pick Pockets, Pick Locks, Medical and Mechanical skills, and similar are -20% when performed with the transformed arm. Also, attacks made by the tentacle receive only half the character's normal combat bonuses when using a handheld weapon. 00% Vampire Metabolism: Character becomes semi-vampiric! Normal food can still be eaten, but the eharacter now prefers all food raw. In addition, 5 Hit Points (or M.D.C.) worth of blood (about half a pint! 0.23 liters) must be consumed daily. If the vampire goes 5 days without blood, his speed, attacks per melee and all bonuses are reduced by half. After 10 days without blood, the vampire has only I attack per melee and begins to lose two Hit Points for eaeh additional day the vampire continues to go without blood. After all Hit Points are depleted, the vampire passes into unconsciousness and will die in 24 hours without a full meal of blood. Animal blood can be drunk, but it does not taste good. Blood from War Mounts and Host Armors tastes better, and most Geneticists make do with that, eutting into the M.D. flesh with a knife first Blood from other humans tastes the best. About half of vampire Geneticists try to conceal their thirst for blood, hiding behind the need for blood samples. ("Yes, another one, there are still a couple of tests to run.") The other half are open about their need, and demand the blood as a priee for their services. Only evil Geneticists will forcibly take blood from unwilling subjects (and those who will, usually enjoy doing so). In addition, the vampire has an increased sense of smell and can track creatures with blood by scent alone, at a base skill of 20% +3% per level of experience. This sense is not sensitive enough to track anything else or to track the specific scents of indi viduals, only living beings in general. Geneticist O.C.C. Alignment: Any, but typically Scrupulous (20%), Anarchist (25%) or Aberrant (20%). Attribute Requirements: LQ. 14, M.E. 12. Attribute O.C.C. Bonuses: +ID6 to M.A. and +ID4 to LQ. andP.E. O.C.C. Bonuses: +2 to pull punch, +1 to disarm, +2 to save vs mind control, and +3 to save vs Horror Factor with an additional + I at levels 3, 6, 10 and 15. Base S.D.C.: 40, plus those from Physical skills. Common Skills: Standard (+5%). O.C.C. Skill Programs: Bio-Technology (+20%, but Machine Lore is replaced with Advanced Math), Medical Coroner (+20%) or Scholar (+15% and includes one Science skill of choice), and one Skill Program of choice (except for Assassination, Espionage, Host Pilot and Martial Artist). Elective Skills: Select six Elective Skills from the following list at ftrst level, plus another two Elective Skills at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12. Communications: Any (+5%). Domestic: Any. Espionage: Escape Artist and Impersonation only. Medical: Any (+15%). Military: None. Physical: Any. Rogue: Any, except Use & Recognize Poison. Science: Any (+10%). Technical: Any (+10%). 79

Transportation: Any, except Host Armor Combat. Wilderness: Any, except Boat Building and Spelunking. W.P.s: Any, except W.P. Modern Weapons, W.P. Paired Weapons and W.P. Reverse Stroke. Secondary Skills: The character gets to select four Secondary Skills at level one and one additional Secondary Skill at levels 2,6, 10 and 14. These are additional areas of knowledge starting without any special O.C.C. bonuses. Standard Equipment: Two sets of regular clothing, a nicer outfit for formal occasions, lab coat, samples case (includes ID6 test tubes, ID4 petri dishes, 12 microscope slides, portable Bio-Tech microscope, scalpel, tweezers and cleaning solution), a suit of non-living M.D.C. body armor (60 M.D.C.), utility belt, survival knife, tinted goggles, Face Wrap (gas mask), one weapon for each W.P. with any needed ammunition (lD6xlO), knapsack:, water skin, emergency rations (one week supply) and some personal items. Money: Has ID4xlOO credits worth of trade goods and salvaged items plus 4D6xl0 credits cash to start. Because of their close association with the Gene-Pools they often receive gifts and favors of all sorts from Splicers hoping for some extra Bio-E. As always, money can be spent on additional equipment or saved for later. The Upside: No one gets to work as closely with the Gene-Pools as you. You help to maintain and even to create the Bio-Technology that is central to the Human Resistance and yet you are rarely in direct danger from the Machine. Your impressive innate abilities make you well-suited to the role of researcher and scientist. Plus your influence and powers allow you to pursue a wide range of other interests in your off hours. The Downside: You are under constant pressure from everybody to improve current Bio-Technology and to produce new Bio-Enhancements. You work long hours with little thanks and you tend to take more than your fair share of complaints about design flaws simply because you are so much more accessible than either Engineers or Librarians. Because of the pressure, your continual mutation and your relative isolation in the depths of the Great House, you and your peers tend to focus only on bigger and better Bio-Technology and completely lose touch with the whole human side of the Resistance, both your own and everyone else's. Experience Table: Use the same Experience Table as the Technojacker found on page 183 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game. Homunculi After young Host Annors are "born" from the Gene-Pools, they still take up to three months of growth time before they mature into the fully-fledged armor ofa Splicer soldier. On rare occasion, and for some unknown reason, some Host Armors do not mature properly. Instead of becoming a massive second skin, these inunature Host Annors stay small (3-4 feetJO.9-1.2 m tall) and develop an internal skeleton and musculature that allow them to be independent humanoid creatures with very low intelligence. Most of these "failed" or "runt" Host Annors are killed and the biological material is recycled. However, a few of these rejects are instead kept alive by Geneticists as a platform for their experiments. Higher-level Geneticists often have several of these "Homunculi" under their care. They are basically the same creatures as Host Armors, so Homunculi can be upgraded with any Bio-Enhancement. Since they serve the Geneticists as test platforms for new Bio-Tech, many of the Bio-Enhancements they receive are experimental in some way. They are either refmed versions of existing Bio-Enhancements with slightly better capabilities, or entirely new Bio-Enhancements which mayor may not prove successful. Unlike a Dreadguard and his Host Annor, a Geneticist and his Homunculi are not genetically bound to each other. Instead, Homunculi naturally imprint on the Geneticist who adopts them. This link is very similar to the bond formed between certain baby birds and their parents. The imprinting means that Homunculi recognize their Geneticist as their master and will typically do their best to serve him. Homunculi crave praise from their Geneticists. Even a Homunculus that has, for some very unusual reason, fled from its Geneticist will still recognize its special link to that person and will still desire some measure of respect from its former master. Flights are a rare occurrence because the vast majority of Geneticists treat their Homunculi welL In fact, because they spend so much time together, Homunculi often end up filling the role of a Geneticist's family. The Geneticist is the parent and the Homunculi are the chattering brood of happy little ones trying to out-do each other for the parent's praise. Homunculi have limited intelligence and cannot be trained for military or espionage operations, but they do just fine with simple commands and easy tasks, like "Bring me that spanner," "Please sweep up around the Gene-Pool," "Now, apply pressure right here while I get a bandage," and "Whistle if someone comes down this hallway." They naturally learn language, just like children, and within one year will pick up the language their Geneticist uses most. They can even speak for themselves (if they have a mouth). Homunculi intuitively know how to properly feed and care for Bio-Technology items and how to operate those Bio-Enhancements that are grown onto them. They cannot, however, learn any other skills beyond those they instinctively receive from their metabolism. Regulations regarding Homunculi vary widely from Great House to Great House. The facts are that Homunculi are Mega-Damage creatures, most have Mega-Damage weapons grown onto them, they are usually only as well-behaved as over-active children, and they are loyal to their Geneticist first. None of this sits well with the leadership of some Houses. Between the Librarian, the Scarecrows, the Warlord and others interested in order and control, there are plenty of people who feel threatened by Geneticists and their creations. Some Great Houses disallow Homunculi completely, while others insist on licensing, armed escorts or bio-meltdown implants (see Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 110). Most Houses have many areas forbidden to Homunculi. It is not uncommon to find the opinion that Homunculi are just living tools or that they are watered-down Biotics worthy of even less respect. On the other hand, the rare House may consider Homunculi full citizens and allow them the same rights and responsibilities of anyone in the Resistance. Class: Experimental Test Platform. 80

Crew: None. M.D.C. by Location: * Arms (2) 2D6+S each * Legs (2) 3D6+S each ** Head 2D6+ I 0 ** Main Body 4D6+30 * A singlc asterisk indicates a target that is difficult to hit. An attacker must aim and make a "Called Shot" to hit it, and even then is -3 to strike. ** Destroying the head or depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills the Homunculus. Speed: Bunning: Per Spd attribute. Tires at normal human rate. Leaping: 5 feet (1.5 m) up and 10 feet (3 m) across. Q!g&!!!g: One quarter Spd in dirt, cannot dig in concrete or rock. Swimming: Half Spd. Maximum underwater depth is 300 feet (91.5 m). Flight: Not possible. Statistical Data: Height: 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m). Fidth: 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 m). Len~: 1 foot (0.3 m). :Weight: ID6xlO+70 pounds (36-58.5 kg). ~a~: Only what can be carried. Physical Strength: 3D6+6. Normal Strength, NOT Splicer. Production Cycle: Six months gestation, plus two months growth time. Note: Homunculi are not produced directly. One in 50 Host Armors fails to develop properly and a Homunculus is the result. These "runt" Host Armors can be identified I D4 weeks after gestation ends. Most are "recycled" but a few are claimed by Geneticists. Operational Lifeti~: 2D1 0+ I 0 years. Tradeyalue: Limited. Even the most well-behaved Homunculi will rarely obey anyone other than their adoptive Geneticist. Ad­ ditionally, most Engineers will refuse to upgrade Homunculi that do not belong to their own Geneticists. It's rare, but some­ times Geneticists trade Homunculi among themselves for 30,000-60,000 credits. Even more rarely, a Homunculus will be kidnaped for the Bio-Tech secrets it holds. The ransom asked in such a case might be anything or, more likely, none will be of­ fered. Bio-Regeneration Rate: 2 M.D.C. per hour for the main body and just one M.D.C. per hour for all other locations. Horror Factor: None. Senses & Features: Range and sensitivity of most senses are equal to that of a human. Some metabolisms offer more refined senses. In addition, Homunculus eyes have passive nightvision (1,000 feetJ30S m) and polarization. Homunculi can sense mag­ netic north with 80% accuracy and are shielded from damage by high intensity sounds, radiation and normal (S.D.C.) heat, fire, and cold. Feeding and Slecp Requirements: See Homunculi Metabolisms below. Rider: Not designed to be ridden. Homunculi Metabolisms Homunculi can be of any metabolism type. Choose any of those described in the Splicers® Role Playing Game, pages 72-76. Most statistics are the same for Homunculi as they are for Host Armors, including bonus Bio-E, instinctive skills, combat bonuses (bonuses provided to the pilot become bonuses of the Homunculus) and penalties. Those statistics that differ are as follows. Carnivore: Needs 3-10 lbs (1.35-4.5 kg) of meat daily. Enhanced passive nightvision has a range of only 4,000 feet (1,219 m). !:lerbivor~: Needs 10-20 lbs (4.5-9 kg) of plant material daily. Sound amplifying hearing provides standard Host Armor sensitivity only. Whispers can be heard at 300 feet (91.5 m). Lithovore: Needs 10-30 lbs (4.5-13.5 kg) of minerals daily. Seismic sense is limited to vibrations from 4 miles (6.4 km) away. Add only +2D6 M.D.C. to the Homunculus' main body. Onmivore: Needs 7-10 lbs (3.2-4.5 kg) offood daily. Pa:r!lsitic:: The Geneticist takes the place of the Pilot for this metabolism. The Homunculus consumes ID4 Hit Points from the Geneticist as often as every day, but can wait lD4+2 days between feedings. Feeding requires the Homunculus to touch some area of open skin for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the area of contact. Holding its Geneticist's hand for an hour or resting its head on its sleeping Geneticist's stomach suffices. Areas used for feeding will become red and blistered. Reduce the Geneticist's P.B. attribute by one for every 10 years spent with the Homunculus. Reduce S.D.C. (or Hit Points if there is no S.D.C. left) by 2 per year. This loss is irreversible. Add only +3D6+12 M.D.C. to the Homunculus' main body. Photosynthetic: Needs exposure to strong sunlight for at least four hours (8 hours if artificial light or overcast) daily. Thermosynthetic: No changes. Yil1!lPiric: A blood drinking attack does 3D6 points of damage direct to Hit Points. Needs the equivalent of 15 Hit Points of blood daily (1 or 2 pints/0.5-1 liters). A full meal is considered 15 Hit Points worth of blood. Other Data (for individual Homunculi) On their own, Homunculi have very distinct personalities influenced by their metabolism and the Bio-Enhancements they receive. The only thing that unites all Homunculi is a reverence for Host Armor. Homunculi view Host Armors as a human might view an angel or demi-god; as essentially a more powerful and more perfect version of themselves. This reverence does not extend to Host AmlOr pilots out of their armor, as few Homunculi grasp the concept of Host Armor needing a pilot. In the field or in the safety of the House, though, Homunculi thrill to see the exploits of Host Armors. They love to learn the names of the Armors and follow their "careers." Aside from this hero worship, Homunculi really only respect their Geneticists. In the absence of their adoptive Geneticist, Homunculi are unlikely to follow the commands of anyone else (only a 20% chance). However, they are more likely to obey those they know and like (+10%), and they almost always follow direct commands from anyone wearing Host Armor (+40%). Alignment: Scrupulous, selfish (85%), Aberrant or Miscreant. 81

Attributes: LQ. lD4+3 (low human), M.E. 2D6, M.A. lD6+4, search, or a Super Light Cell can be increased to 2D 1 0 after P.S. 3D6+6, P.P. 3D6, P.E. 3D6, P.B. lD6+4, Spd 5D6+10. 10-40 hours ofresearch. Number of Attacks per Melee: All Homunculi have at least 3 attacks/actions per melee. Some may have additional attacks/actions because oftheir metabolism. Combat Bonuses (in addition to possible attribute bonuses): Most combat bonuses are based on metabolism. In addition, all Homunculi receive +2 on initiative if their Geneticist is threatened, +l to strike with ranged Bio-Weapons grown onto their bodies, +5 to save vs Horror Factor and +2 to save vs poisons, toxins and disease. Equivalent (instinctive) Skills of Note: Most metabolisms provide a number of instinctive skills. In addition, all Homunculi have Operate Bio-Equipment at 85% and understand the Native Language of their Geneticist at 90%. Homunculi can speak if they have a mouth, but cannot read. Recognize robots and machines as enemies and will flee from them unless ordered to fight or if their Geneticist is in danger. Combat Capabilities: Can punch, kick or bite, but knows no other combat moves. Hand to hand damage is based on the P.S. of the Homunculus (they do not have Splicer Strength!). Bite damage is based on metabolism. Homunculi can also use whatever ranged or melee Bio-Weapons have been grown on them. Handheld ranged or melee weapons can also be used, but this is rare and the Homunculus has no Weapon Proficiencies. Homunculi Bio-Weapon Enhancement Homunculi can receive enhancements from any Bio-Tech category, just like Host Armor. Enhancement works the same as for Host Armors, Bio-E costs and prerequisites are the same. Once a Homunculi has a certain enhancement, the Geneticist can tinker with its genetic code. Engineers and Librarians are the real originators of Bio-Tech, but Geneticists are always looking to improve it. The kinds of experimentation Geneticists do fall into three categories: They try to increase the capabilities of existing enhancements, reduce the cost of existing enhancements, and invent new enhancements. The details for each are as follows. Increasing Weapon Capabilities: Geneticists can increase the range, accuracy or damage of existing Bio-Weapons. The weapon being researched must first be added to the Homunculus. For 10 Bio-E and one hour ofresearch per each Bio-E of the Weapon being modified, a Geneticist can increase the range of that weapon by 20%. So for 10 Bio-E and 10 hours of research, a Bio-Energy Expulsion Vent can be modified to fire 2,160 feet/658A m (an additional 360 feet/I 09.7 m). For 15 Bio-E and 2 hours of research per each Bio-E of the weapon being modified, a Geneticist can increase the accuracy of a weapon (+ 1 to strike). A bone blade that inflicts 4D6 costs 20 Bio-E and is +3 to strike. By spending 15 additional Bio-E and researching for 40 hours, the bonus increases to +4 to strike. For 20 Bio-E and ID4 hours of research for every Bio-E of the weapon being modified, damage can be increased by one die of the appropriate type. The damage of a Light Gore Cannon can be increased from 4D8+2 to 5D8+2 after 20-80 hours ofreAll of these enhancements stack. And each can be added multiple times as long as the Geneticist does the research and pays the Bio-E costs. Similar to the ranged weapon upgrades, only one enhancement may be made each time modifications are made. The range and accuracy of a Homunculus' Light Gore Cannon could both be increased, and then the damage could be increased twice. This would require gaining four levels of experience, spending 65 Bio-E and doing 100-140 hours ofresearch. Perhaps, if the G.M. allows it, the increased features developed by Geneticists can become standard features. In a game-play event, the Bore Pistol mk2 could be released, incorporating the developments a Geneticist character made with his own Homunculus' Bore Cannon. In most cases, however, these increased capabilities do not become standard features of the Great House's Bio-Tech. They are the Geneticist's personal projects only. Decreasing Bio-E Cost: After an enhancement has been grown onto a Homunculus, the Geneticist can study it for ways to grow it more efficiently. By spending the Bio-E cost of the enhancement again and researching it for ID4xl0 hours for every 5 Bio-E of the cost, the Geneticist can produce an equivalent enhancement that costs 10% less. Enhancements that cost 10 Bio-E or less cannot have their costs decreased further. These decreased-cost Bio-Enhancements usually are taken up into the standard production of the Great House. By spending 50 Bio-E and up to 400 hours researching the problem, the mega-upgrade can be produced for only 45 Bio-E. That may not seem like much, but every Bio-E point saved on one enhancement means Bio-E available for future enhancements. And over time that can really add up. "New Bio-Tech: Rather than testing modifications to existing enhancements, Homunculi can also be used to test entirely new Bio-Enhancements. These new features and weapons can be anything! Players and G.M.s should work together to add new Bio-Technology (always for a reasonable Bio-E cost) to their games. New Bio-Enhancements Biological Defenses Vine Camouflage: Vines sprout from the head, shoulders, back or even from the waist and legs and hang down 3 feet (0.9 m), like a Bio-Tech ghillie suit. They have a look somewhat similar to dreadlocks except that the leaves conceal and break up the outline of the Host Armor they cover. The leaf shape can be similar to kudzu, ivy, tall grass, or any other ground cover plant. The living camouflage provides +25% to the camouflage skill in forests, jungles and other areas where plants are common. Unfortunately, in Boneyards and urban areas the character tends to stick out (no bonus to camouflage). The leafy covering provides no additional M.D.C. and is easily destroyed in combat (completely destroyed after the armor receives 50 M.D.C. of damage). However, the vines re-grOW completely within ID4 hours. A character with the Identify Fruits and Plants skill, and who rolls successfully, will receive a bonus of +10% to their 82

Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment skill rolls to identify the user of Vine Camouflage if the plant type used is not native to the area in which they are operating. Prerequisite: Photosynthetic or Thermosynthetic Metabolism. Bio-E Cost: 12 Bio-E. Anatomical and Physiological Features Cornucopia: Having access to food, water and medicine in a nearby Bao House is great, but sometimes Splicers need extra supplies right now! Realizing this, the Engineers created the Comucopia. While some Splicers have had to endure the derisive nickname "Fruit Stand," the benefits of their fruits in times of need are worth it. Unlike the mythical "horn of plenty," the Bio-Tech Cornucopia takes the form of a series of five overlapping, curved plates usually running down the back of the shoulder or along the upper arm. Fruits grow in four shallow bays between the plates, which protect the fruits from being casually dislodged. The individual fruits cannot be targeted while inside the Cornucopia. =::...:.;:c..;." Each of the protective plates has 20 M.D.C. The specific fruits growing in the Cornucopia can be anything the Splicer chooses (available types are described below). Qrdinary Fruit: 2D 1 0+ 3 individual fruits or bunches. Any type of fruit is possible but the maximum size is limited to 6 inches (15 cm) across. Recovery: IDIO daily. Meat Apple: ID6+2 protein-filled fruits that provide enough nutrition for one meal for an ordinary human. Not sufficient food for Host Armors or War Mounts. Recovery: ID4-1-1 daily. Juice Box: 1 D4+ 1 gourd-like fruits that contain enough lightly sweet and fruit-flavored water for one human for one day. Recovery: 2 daily. Wil-Aloe Pod: ID12+5 finger-sized pods that contain a chemical-laden gel that mixes the healing properties of aloe plants with the anti-inflammatory properties of the bark of willow trees. Useful for treating burns, wounds, fevers, and general aches and pains. Recovery: ID6-1-3 daily. Pe1:c!-Root: 2D4+4 buds of pulpy material that contain powerful antihistamine properties. If ingested or applied to the affected site they slow the damage caused by poisons, toxins and venom (duration, penalties and damage are half). Recovery: ID4+2 daily. Glowfruit: ID6+ 1 small versions of the explosive fruits that Gardeners can produce (see above for details). These cannot be eaten, but do glow faintly and they deal3D6 M.D.C. to a 15 foot (4.6 m) area when manually primed and thrown as a grenade. Recovery: ID4 daily. Sap Sack: 2D6 translucent sacks, similar to a water-filled balloon, which contain a quick-setting resin. It has all of the same features, properties, and uses of the resin described in the Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 87. The Sap Sacks are not designed for throwing, have a maximum range of only 20 feet (6 m) and are -5 to strike. Recovery: ID6 daily. tr~.requisite: Photosynthetic or Thermosynthetic Metabolism. Bio-E Cost: The Cornucopia itself and two types of fluit cost 25 Bio-E. Additional types offtuit can be added for 12 Bio-E per type. Fat Hump: The Host Armor stores up fat in a large hump over the shoulders. This gives it a hunchback appearance, but the Armor can go for up two weeks without eating, instead living off the fat stored in the hump. After that the full effects of starvation take effect. It takes ID4+ I weeks to rebuild a Fat Hump after it has been completely depleted. Prerequisit<;l: Carnivore, Herbivore or Omnivore Metabolism. Bio-E Cost: 15 Bio-E. Grip Hands: These small hands look like miniature hands, tendrils, or tentacles, and hold weapons and other equipment tight to the Host Armor and out of the way until the character needs them. The hands are little more than organic tie-downs but since they are part of the Host Armor, the character is + 1 on initiative with the weapons they hold. One hand can hold a pistol or small melee weapon, two are required for rifles or large melee weapons, and 4 are required for heavy Bio-Weapons. Up to four hands can be added to a Host Armor with no prerequisite. Any number of Grip Hands can be added if the Host Armor also has Enhanced Neurological Connections. Each hand has only 5 M.D.C. but requires a Called Shot to hit, and even then the attacker is -6 to strike. Bio-E Cost: 2 Bio-E per individual Grip Hand. Master of Pearl: Either type of Shell Vault (see below) can be modified to make pearls (yes, we know in real life oysters make pearls, but this is Bio-Tech!). The chemical process that builds up the layers of the pearl happens automatically, but the process can be shut down for as long as 2D8 days at a time. After that the feature must be allowed to operate for ID4+4 days before it can be turned off again. Anything in the Vault while it is pearl-making will be thinly coated as well (this mayor may not be what the character wants). Starting from a single grain of sand it takes 2 months to grow a pearl worth 1,500 credits. Pearls can be kept in the shell as long as the character wants. Add 500 credits of worth every month after the second. Bio-E Cost: 10 Bio-E for the upgrade. p.rerequisite: Shell Vault. Sap Glands: Essentially the same as Quick Clotting Blood (see Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 87) but is based on a different metabolism, reducing its Bio-E cost. Prerequisite: Photosynthetic Metabolism. Bio-E Cost: 2 Bio-E points. Savant: While Biotics typically serve as cannon fodder and work horses, it can be very helpful to have those that also really know what they are doing when the dust settles. The Savant upgrade is a mental enhancement available only for Biotics. It implants on an instinctual level an intimate knowledge of a certain subject. The Biotic receives either + 15% to each skill in a particular skill package or +40% to a single skill. This innate expertise is usually given in an Espionage, Medical, Military or Wilderness skill, but can be anything. No matter what the Biotic is like at other times, while using the Savant level skill the biotic is quiet, straight-faced and completely focused on the task at hand (any penalties from insanities do not apply). It's almost like another person takes over. Biotics may not be aware of their superior skills (commanding officers will know), and half do not even remember afterward that they have used their skill at all. This Bio-Enhancement can only be selected once. Bio-E Cost: Cost: 20 Bio-E. 83

Shell Vault: Inspired by the humble clam, the Vault provides a small, but very secure storage space. Strong muscular action closes the two halves of the shell together and keeps whatever is placed inside safe and secure. A small Shell Vault is 6x6x2 inches (l5x15x5 cm) requiring a Called Shot at -4 to strike. The vault can later be upgraded to a large 15xl5x5 inch (38.lx38.1xI2.7 cm) vault, requiring a Called Shot at only -2 to strike. M.D.C.: The small Shell Vault has 30 M.D.C., and the large Shell Vault has 50 M.D.C. Bio-E Cost: 5 Bio-E for a small vault, 10 for a large vault. Alter­ nately, a large Shell Vault can be added from the start, but this option costs 20 Bio-E. Storage Pouch: A biological pocket like those of kangaroos and other marsupials. The pouch can stretch to hold a maximum of a cubic foot (0.028 cubic meters). Whatever is placed in the pouch gains the full benefits of other enhancements such as Bio-Force Field, Chameleon Skin, and Stealth Field. Up to four pockets can be added to a Host Armor or a Biotic, double to a War Mount. Bio-E Cost: 4 Bio-E per pouch. Supernatural Strength: This enhancement allows Host Armor and other Splicer creations to increase their strength to supernatural levels, requiring a large investment of Bio-E. This enhancement is only offered to Dreadguards, Roughneck Officers, and very rarely to a well decorated and loyal Biotic. (Note: Under the Enhanced Physical Strength Enhancement on page 86 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game, it states that Gorehounds and Biotics can have their basic P.S. increased to Splicer P.S. for just 50 points. Please disregard this, as Gorehounds already have Supernatural Strength, and Biotics already have Splicer Strength. You can use the information presented under that enhancement, and this enhancement to calculate just how much Bio-E goes into creating the military constructs of the Great Houses.) Mega-Damage: As per Supernatural Strength. Bio-E Cost: 2 Bio-E points per point of Strength to be con­ verted. A Splicer must pay this amount in full, and cannot simply convert a part of his P.S. A Host Armor with a Splicer P.S. of 36 will need to spend 72 Bio-E to upgrade to Supernatural Strength. Prerequisite: Must have Splicer Strength, which is replaced by Supernatural Strength. Symbiotic Nourishment: For scouts and long-range recon Splicer units in hostile areas, one of the biggest limitations is usually how much food and water one can carry with them, or that is available to them in the field. This enhancement allows the Splicer pilot to get nourishment from his Host Armor's metabolism after the armor has broken the food down into basic nutrients for its own use. A Splicer with this enhancement can stay out in the field indefinitely, so long as his armor meets its own feeding and sleep requirements. The amount of nutrients needed to sustain the pilot is negligible in comparison to the amount of nutrition needed for the armor, so no significant increase in consumption is required. +2 to save vs poisons or toxins since the Host Armor must further break down the source of nutrients. Bio-E Cost: 15 points for Photosynthetic and Thermosynthetic Metabolisms, 20 points for Carnivore, Herbivore, and Omnivore Metabolisms, and 30 points for Lithovore and Vampiric Metabolisms. This is not available for Parasitic Host Armors. Prerequisite: Enhanced Neurological Connections. Only Host Armors can select this enhancement. Offensive Bio-Weapons Bin-Energy Blade: At the request of many Splicer soldiers, the Engineers have developed Bio-Energy melee weapons based off of Bio-Energy Expulsion Vents. The weapons are powered by the user's own internal energy, and if used improperly, can quickly tire out the Host Armor pilot or War Mount. The blade requires the addition of a small Bio-Force Field generator which is powered by the existing Bio-Energy Vent. The upgraded vent can still be used as a ranged weapon, but not while the blade is active. The blade-shaped Bio-Force Field channels the energy from the modified Bio-Energy Vent into a dangerous weapon, allowing it to parry other melee attacks and perfonn MegaDamage melee attacks. M.D.C. of the Blade: 15 M.D.C. + bonus M.D.C. equal to the P.E. attribute value of the user, + ID4 per each subsequent level of experience. Mega-Damage: The blade does 3D12 + bonus M.D. equal to the P.E. attribute value of the user. Each blast from the upgraded vent does 4D8 + bonus M.D. equal to the P.E. attribute value of the user. Maximum Effective Range: The blades extend up to 5 feet (1.5 m) from the Bio-Energy Vent, usually found in the hands, but sometimes mounted on the tail or head. Maximum Effective Range for ranged blasts is 1,000 feet (305 m), but only 500 feet (152 m) underwater. Equal to the number of Hand to Hand attacks of the user. Activating the blades counts as one attack/action. As for the ranged Bio-E blast, each blast counts as one melee attack/action, and cannot fIre volleys or simultaneous blasts from different vents at the same target. ::"::'.L:==' Effectively unlimited. Each blade contains a charge equal to the P.E. of the user x 6, in minutes, every 12 hours. So, a Splicer with a P.E. of 15 will be able to keep the blades active for 90 minutes every 12 hours. Using more time will weaken the pilot, causing him to lose two melee attacks/actions per round, and reduces all of his combat bonuses by half for the next 1 D6 hours. Each activation uses at least one minute of charge, even if the blade is only used for one attack. As for the modified ranged vent, since the new vents are primarily designed for melee combat, firing more than 8 blasts a minute (that's 2 per melee round) weakens the pilot, causing him to lose two melee attacks/actions per round and reduces all of his combat bonuses by half for the next 3D6 minutes. Bonus: +3 to strike, and +2 to parry with the blades. The ranged blast gets no bonuses to strike (eliminating the +3 to strike on aimed shots from the original Bio-E vent). ==-:=-=-:=.20 points per Bio-Energy Expulsion Vent to be upPrerequisite: Bio-Energy ExpUlsion Vent. 84

Ranged Bio-Weapons Photon Infnser Cannon: Other than the Omega Blaster, the Photon Infuser Cannon is possibly the most destructive heavy energy weapon developed for use on Host Armors. The weapon is a modified version of the weapon used by the Gardener plant defense of the same name, and uses a special hybrid energy beam to deal its tremendous damage. The weapon is unique in that its power source comes from two places: the metabolism of the Armor and the energy the Splicer is able to acquire in battle. The weapon requires that the Host Amor has Photosynthetic Metabolism, and must be mounted on the back and over one shoulder. When the upgrade is purchased, the Splicer picks either a limb or the torso on which to have hinged, crystalline, shield-like, energy absorption panels grown. These superphotosynthetic panels can be used to absorb laser blasts (and ONLY laser blasts. No other energy weapon types) to recharge the payload of the weapon. The energy is stored in an organic energy cell on the back and directed through a variety of small focusing chambers when fired to emit a tremendous blast of supercharged energy at the enemy. M.D.C.: The weapon itself has 3D6x1O M.D.C., while the back-mounted energy cell has 3D8xlO+20 M.D.C. The energy absorption panel has 2D6x10+1O M.D.C. and can be used to parry energy blasts as a straight die roll, with no bonuses or penalties, except what is stated in this description. Damage: lD8xlO+ I 0 per blast or 2D6xlO+20 for a heavy blast. Range: 2,000 feet (610 m). Range can be increased to 4,000 feet (1,219 m) at the cost of one extra charge of energy, or 6,000 feet (1,829 m) for 2 additional charges. Each blast counts as one melee attack/action. ='-"--"-=-=-==-­ Payload: Effectively unlimited. The weapon can contain its maximum payload of 4D8+ 12 charges, but recharges ID4 charges per hour in sunlight, or 1 charge for every ID6 M.D. of laser fire absorbed by the armor. The energy absorption panels must be open to recharge either in sunlight or to collect laser energy. Bonus: +3 to strike with the energy blast. +1 to parry with the limb the energy absorption panel is on. If the panels are on the torso, the user doesn't have to parry the blast. When active, the energy absorption panels are impossi­ ----~ ble to hide, catching every shimmer of light. The user is -15% to Prowl and Camouflage rolls if the shield is on the arm, and -30% if the panels are on the torso. If panels are grown on the torso, Omega Blasters can never be integrated into the armor. Bio-E Cost: 75 points if the energy absorption panel is located on the arm, but 90 points iflocated on the torso. Prerequisite: Photosynthetic Metabolism, Resistance to Heat, Resistance to Lasers. The Resistance to Heat is added upon and not replaced, but the crystals from Resistance to Lasers remain, except where replaced by the energy absorption panels. This en­ hancement can only be used on Host Armors. Ranged Weapon Upgrades Electrical Stunner: This enhancement allows electrical weapons to increase their current output, allowing them to effectively stun Host Armor, War Mounts, Gorehounds, and minions ofthe Machine. Against Splicer technology, the target must save against stun attack (15 or higher, without any possible bonus from P .E.) or they will lose initiative, two melee attacks, and are -4 to all combat actions for 2D4 melee rounds and -25% on all skills. If the target is a Host Armor or War Mount with a pilot inside, the pilot takes an additional4D6 S.D.C or Hit Point dam­ age. Against minions of the Machine, the attacker deals damage as normal and then rolls on the appropriate table under the Elec­ tro-Pulse Gun on pages 134-135 ofthe Splicers® Role Playing Game. This enhancement can be purchased for either the Elec­ trical Discharger or the Lightning Discharger, and will be pres­ ent ifthe weapon is further upgraded. (Note: Though mentioned in the Splicers® Role Playing Game, page 101, it should be clarified that damage from the Electrical Weapons CAN be added to melee attacks.) Bonus: + I to strike, in addition to the bonus listed for the Elec­ trical Weapon that is upgraded. Bio~E Cost: 20 points. I:!c;).t:equisite: Electrical Discharger or Lightning Discharger. Napalm Enhancement: This enhancement adds an additional chemieal to the mixture present in the flame weapons used by many Splicers, allowing it to continuously bum like organic napalm. The chemical can be used in conjunction with either the Fire Breath or Plasma Breath weapons. Ifpurchased for Fire Breath, the upgrade will still be present when upgraded to Plasma Breath, only increasing in damage. Mega-Damage: In addition to the initial damage of 3D12 M.D. for the Fire Breath, the napalm continues to bum, causing ID12+6 M.D. per melee round for ID4 minutes. For napalm enhanced Plasma Breath, the weapon does its initial 6D12 M.D. and continues to bum, causing 3D12 M.D. per melee round for 2D4 minutes. Multiple napalm attacks against the same target will increase the duration of the continuous burn effect, but no additional damage will be inflicted beyond the attacks themselves. (Note: If this enhancement is purchased for the Draco War Mount, increase its damage from 3D8 to 6D12 initial damage, and from 3D8 to 6DI2 per melee of bum damage.) Bonus: + I to strike, in addition to the bonus listed for the flame weapon. 20 points. 35 points if purchased for the Draco War ~'---"'---'::-"'-' Mount, but all three heads are upgraded. prerequisite: Fire Breath or Plasma Breath. (Note: The description of Flame weapons on page 1 0 1 of the Splicers® Role Playing Game states that flame weapons can only be used once per melee and count as an additional melee attack. Please use this listing rather than the one under the "Rate of Fire" section of their stat blocks.) Other (New Category!) Bio-Reclamation: Occasionally a Splicer decides that a certain Bio-Enhancement just isn't right after all. This is particularly true of enhancements that are prerequisites for other enhancements. If the character decides not to get the upgrade, he is left with an unnecessary feature or piece of equipment. Removing these unwanted Bio-Enhancements is almost as easy as adding them. There is no cost for the Bio-Reclamation. In fact, the Splicer even gets back half of the original Bio-E cost of the enhancements removed (round down). Note: Weapons and fea85

tures that cost less than lO Bio-E can be removed, but no Bio-E is returned to the Splicer for these enhancements. Opti-Upgrade: While most of the Weapon Upgrades are only available for ranged weapons, the Opti-Upgrade can be used for both melee and ranged Bio-Weapons. This recently developed enhancement increases the range for critical attacks for a particular weapon by one. For example,. If a Dreadguard normally scores a critical hit with his Gore Cannon on a Natural 20, but invests in the Opti-Upgrade, he will then score a critical hit on a Natural 19 or 20. This can be a very useful enhancement for weapons which have a special effect on a critical hit, such as the tentacle harpoon. This enhancement can only be purchased twice per weapon. Blo-E Cost: 20 points. Prerequisite: Applicable to melee or ranged weapons. The Zodiac Mage Official Source Material for the Palladium Fantasy RPG® By Carl Gleba Elves have long been considered closer to nature than many other races. They are more at home under a thick canopy of trees than under a thatched roof. This love is not limited to a forest or open savanna, but extends to the sky as well and Elves have studied the stars for as long as their collective memories can recall. Long before the Time ofa Thousand Magicks, Elves had the sky mapped and they could recount numerous stories and legends surrounding the constellations above. As far as history records, it was the Elves who defined the Palladium Zodiac. It was during the Time ofa Thousand Magicks that the term "Zodiac Mage" was believed to be first coined. Little is recorded about this enigmatic sect of Elven mages. What is known is that it was exclusive to Elves of the time as few, if any, other races studied the sky as intently as they. It was from these studies ofthe sky, combined with an advanced knowledge of magic, that the first of the Zodiac Mages was born. At their height this order numbered into the hundreds of thousands, but these numbers would see a drastic decline during the Elf-Dwarf War. At the end of the second peace, fewer than 10,000 were believed to exist, and by the end of the war the Zodiac Mages would be gone forever and their secrets with them, or so many believed. The Zodiac Mage is a spell caster who has an amazing versatility when it comes to spell casting. Each mage differs in the types of spells he can cast. All learn to cast Star Magic, but that is where the similarity ends. Their zodiac sign determines what other types of spells they can cast, so while they are masters of Star Magic invocations, some can intuitively cast Elemental magic. Some of the zodiac signs have connections to the Elemental life signs, and this provides a limited link and knowledge of Elemental magic, while some are more cerebral in focus and provide mind powers. Some Zodiac Mages even become proficient warriors, it all depends on their sign. A Zodiac Mage does not choose the sign he wishes to study, but rather is born under that sign and learns to hone its abilities to their fullest potential. Each zodiac sign confers different powers, skills, and abilities, making each Zodiac Mage different and unique. One ability they all share is the power to summon their Zodiac Avatar. The Avatar is a magical recreation of one of the twelve zodiac symbols found in the sky. The mage is so in tune with his zodiac sign that he can call on it anytime to fight alongside him. Of course, as powerful as these mages are, they have one inherent weakness. Stars do not shine during the day, and thus they are weakened while the sun shines, but once dusk begins and the first stars appear, their strength returns. Their reliance on the stars may have doomed these once powerful spell casters, as wars at that time were primarily fought during the day, and this is something the Dwarves were able to exploit with deadly efficiency. At the present time period in the Palladium World, only the most obscure text in the Library of Bletherad may even mention the Zodiac Mage or Star Magic. Extensive research may reveal more details, but definitely not the secrets of this lost magic. There might be a few references to the city reputed to have a large contingent of Zodiac Mages, the lost Elven city of Starscape. Starscape was believed to be located in the northernmost reaches of the Old Kingdom. If the ruins of this city could be found, perhaps documents still exist that could revive this lost, forgotten magic. More than likely there will be more references to the city, which at one time had the largest concentration of Zodiac Mages, and was probably their guild headquarters. Do Zodiac Mages exist today? Some people claim to have seen mages who can wield the power of the stars. Most dismiss this as rumor and innuendo. If a group did survive, they have been hidden for thousands of years and are not likely to announce themselves anytime soon. And yet, very rarely, a Forsaken Mage will turn up who seems to be able to cast a handful of Star Spells. No one knows where they could be able to learn this knowledge, and they are certainly not sharing it. Game Master Note: A small group of Zodiac Mages has managed to survive and prosper, hidden in the western portion of the Great Northern Wilderness. This was initially a small family group who has seen their numbers decline over the years. In order to preserve their secrets, they have passed them on to humans and W olfen in the area. Most students are lost or abandoned children that the group takes in and teaches. They will even teach it to Forsaken Mages, although they can only learn the spells, and not the actual abilities of a true Zodiac Mage. Zodiac Mage O.C.C. Abilities and Bonuses 1. Choosing a Zodiac Sign. Players can select one of the twelve sigus below or roll percentiles to determine a random 86

87

sign. The character gains all skills, powers and bonuses listed under the chosen sign. 01-090/0 Gryphon - January 20 - February 18 The Gryphon has long been associated with Nobility and Honor in the Palladium World. During the Elf-Dwarf War it was a common practice to try and time a child's birth during the time of the Gryphon. Those born under the sign of the Gryphon often display a strong sense of honor and nobility and it is not uncommon for those under the sign of the Gryphon to be Principled, Scrupulous or Aberrant. 1. Instinctively knows Horsemanship: Exotic Animals, Climb, and Land Navigation at (+10%). 2. + I D4 to M.A. attribute. 3. The Zodiac Mage is able to summon a Gryphon as a permanent mount. The Gryphon is completely loyal and obedient to the Zodiac Mage. After six months the Gryphon becomes a Familiar and is linked to the mage with the same bonuses (and penalties) as the level nine spell Familiar Link. 4. The Gryphon is both an Air and Earth symbol. Zodiac Mages can select one Air or Earth Elemental spell per level of experience. Spells are limited to the character's level of experience or lower. 5. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, M.A. 8, P.S. 20, P.P. 18, P.E. 20, P.B. 22, Spd 20, 100 Flying. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural A.R.: 10, + 1 at levels 4,8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +1 to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall and +2 on all saving throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: The Gryphon can carry a single rider. Claws add ID6 to damage. 10-17% Grekar, the Flying Turtle - February 19 - March 20 Easy going and laid back best describes those born under the water sign of Grekar the Flying Turtle. They are calm and steady people who are slow to anger and rile up. Good alignments are typical, while those of evil alignment are the extreme version of laid back, bordering on laziness and sloth. 1. +2 to save vs Horror Factor. 2. + ID4 to M.A. Being easy going and laid back means people are often more comfortable around them. 3. Automatically a good communicator, and knows Public Speaking and one additional Language of choice (or Sign Language) at + I 0%. 4. Since Grekar is a combination of a water and air sign, the Zodiac Mage can select one spell per level of experience from either Water or Air Elemental spells. Spells are limited to the character's level of experience or lower. 5. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: LQ. 13, M.E. 14, M.A. 8, P.S. 14, P.P. 12, P.E. 18, P.B. 12, Spd 10, 100 Flying, 40 Swimming. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 25; Nat­ ural A.R.: 12, +l at levels 4, 8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and IS. Bonuses: + 1 on all saving throws, +1 to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Note: Can fly and carry up to four human-sized passengers. 18-25% Majestic the Unicorn March 21 April 19 The unicorn is the sign of nature and beauty. Those born under the sign of the unicorn seem to be wild at heart and at home in nature. Typical alignments are Unprincipled and Anarchist. 1. P.B. + 104 and Spd + 106. 2. Automatically knows Horsemanship: Knight and Animal Husbandry (+10%). 3. Can see magic energy (only quantities greater than 20 P.P.E.). 4. Sense the Supernatural. Range: 20 feet (6.1 m) plus 10 additional feet (3 m) per level of experience. 5. Affmity with animals. Zodiac Mages under the sign of the Unicorn are considered creatures of the forest, and most animals don't run or flee at sight of the character. Birds are likely to land on their shoulders and even take food out of their hands. Domestic animals will take an immediate liking to these characters. Dogs will wag their tails and let them pass and horses will feel comfortable and easy to manage. 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, MA 12, P.S. 25, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, P.B. 24, Spd 60. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural A.R.: 10, + 1 at levels 4, 8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Bonuses: +4 to initiative, +1 to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall, and + I on all saving throws. Impervi­ ous to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: Horror/Awe Factor: 12, fire and cold resistant (takes half damage), ram with hom does 4D6, and can carry two passengers. 26-33% Corg the Manticore - April 20 May 20 The symbol of the Manticore usually represents people who are stubborn and pigheaded. Once an opinion is formed, those under this sign rarely change their minds. They also tend to be a bit more physical and most don't mind rigorous physical activities, and they hate being confmed inside. 1. Automatically knows Body Building & Weightlifting and either Running or Swimming (+ 10%). 2. +4D6 S.D.C. from the numerous physical activities. 3. +lD4 to P.S. or P.E. attribute. 4. Corg is a symbol of the Earth. Zodiac Mages can select a single Earth Elemental spell per level of experience. Spells are limited to the character's level of experience or lower. 5. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 10, M.A. 8, P.S. 25, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, P.B. 12, Spd 24. Hit Points: P.E. x the level ofthe Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural A.R.: 10, +l at levels 4, 8, 12 and IS. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and IS. 88

Bonuses: + I to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall, and + I on aU saving throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Climb 80%. Poisoned tail does 6D6 damage unless the victim saves vs lethal poison of 14 or higher. Damage is only ID6 on a successful saving throw. Claws add 2D6 to damage, bite does 2D4. Has a Horror Factor of 16. 34-41 % Selestra the Mermaid - May 21-June 20 Selestra is the sign of the ocean and athletics. Mages with the sign of the mermaid tend to be playful and curious. The most common alignments tend to be Unprincipled and Anarchist. I. Instinctively knows the following skills; Athletics, Swim ( + 15%) and Sailing (+1 0%). 2. Access to Water Elemental spells. The Zodiac Mage can choose one Water Elemental spell per level, equal to his or her current level of experience or lower, in addition to Star Spells. 3. Can hold breath for a number of minutes equal to the character's P.E. attribute. 4. Affmity with aquatic creatures. Predators like sharks won't attack the character, and creatures like dolphins will be friendly and playful. 5. Once per week, the Zodiac Mage can summon a sea creature no bigger than a shark to assist him for two hours per level of experience. During this zodiac sign's time (from May 21 to June 20), the duration is doubled and the Zodiac Mage can summon Sea Serpents! Naturally, the Zodiac Mage must be on the ocean in order to summon these creatures. 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, MA 18, P.S. 15, P.P. 16, P.E. 14, P.B. 24, Spd 20, 40 Swimming, or 20 Flying. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural AR.: 10, + 1 at levels 4,8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. ~onuses: +3 to strike, parry, dodge, +1 to pull punch, and roll with punch/fall and + 1 on all saving throws,. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: Resistant to cold (takes half damage). Sonic blast does 4D6 to all in a 20 foot (6.1 m) radius or can be directed at an in­ dividual. Targets must save vs being deafened with a 14 or higher (apply M.E. bonuses). 42-49% Red Hawk - June 21 July 22 Those born under the sign of Red Hawk tend to have short fuses and raging tempers. They are often quick to judge and quicker to take action. Many warriors are born under this sign, which also symbolizes war and aggression. 1. instinctively knows the following skills: Climb, Recognize Weapon Quality (+ 10%), and one W.P. of choice. 2. +ID4 to P.S. attribute. 3. +4 to save vs Horror Factor. 4. Resistant to Heat and Fire as per the spell Resist Fire. This ability is constant and always active. 5. The Zodiac Mage has access to Fire Elemental Magic and gains one spell per level of experience (limited to his current level or lower) in addition to those gained under Star Magic. 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, M.A 8, P.S. 15, P.P. 23, P.E. 25, P.B. 12, Spd 20,60 Flying. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural AR.: 10, + I at levels 4,8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Bonuses: + I to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall and + I on all saving throws. Impervious to mind con­ trol and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: The Zodiac Mage can see what the Hawk sees, getting an aerial view of what's going on. Claw or bite damage is ID4+2 S.D.C. 50-57% The Scholar - July 23 - August 22 The Scholar is a sign of intelligence and rationality. Those born under the sign of the Scholar tend to be more cerebral, slow to anger and often look for answers even when none are apparent. 1. Instinctively knows Philosophy and two Science skills of choice, all at + 15%. 2. +2 to LQ. 3. +2 to save vs Psionics. 4. + I 0% to three O.C.C. Related Skills. 5. Minor Psionic, plus has the powers of Total Recall and Speed Reading. 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: I.Q. 18, M.E. 20, M.A 8, P.S. 20, P.P. 16, P.E. 20, P.B. 12, Spd 20. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural AR.: 10, +1 at levels 4,8,12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Bonuses: +2 to initiative, strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall, and + I on all saving throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: The Scholar is a humanoid in a thinking pose. When summoned it is in the form of a robed human and comes equipped with a quarterstaff. 58-65% Kym-nark-mar - August 23 - September 22 The dragon, Kym-nark-mar, symbolizes magic and innovation. Those born under the sign of Kym-nark-mar tend to be naturals when it comes to magic studies. Because of their aptitude, those born under this sign tend to be cocky and self-serving. The typical alignments are Anarchist and Miscreant. I. + I to Spell Strength and + 1 to save vs magic at level one. 2. +4D6 to base P.P.E. 3. Automatically knows Lore: Magic. 4. Because of their affinity with magic, those under the sign of Kym-nark-mar can select a total of six spells from levels 1 to 3 of Wizard magic. Starting at second level, the Zodiac Mage can select one spell equal to his level of experience or lower. In addition, he can learn invocation magic without the normallimitation as indicated under Learning New Spells (#4, below) except when it comes to the amount ofP.P.E. cost per spelL In this case the mage only has to spend an extra 25% P.P.E. to cast the spell instead of 50%. 5. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: 89

Attributes: I.Q. 19, M.E. 10, MA 18, P.S. 35, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, P.B. 24, Spd 50, 100 Flying. Hit Points: P.E. x the level ofthe Zodiae Mage; S.D.C.: 35; Nat­ ural A.R.: 11, +1 at levels 4,8,12 and IS. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and IS. Bonuses: + 1 on all saving throws, + I to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: Breathe Fire: 4D6 S.D.C. with a range of 60 feet (18.3 m). Can also carry two humanoids. 66-73% Pegasus - September 23 - October 22 The sign of the Pegasus marks a determined and patient person who is goal oriented. These individuals work hard and play hard. There is nothing that gets in their way once they are focused on achieving a goal. There is no typical alignment for a Pegasus, all are possible. 1. +1 on all saving throws. Their positive attitude helps get them through just about any rough patch. 2. + ID4 to M.E. due to their intense focus and concentration. 3. Automatically knows Horsemanship: Exotic Animals. 4. The Pegasus is an air sign, and this gives the Zodiac Mage access to Air Elemental magic. They gain one spell per level of experience (restricted to their current level or lower) in addition to those gained under Star Magic. 5. Affmity with Pegasus: The character will always be perceived as a friend and ally ofthe Pegasus, and they will even allow the mage to fly on them. This is tolerated for a limited time, no more than a week per level of the mage. A Zodiac Mage has a 01-40% chance, +4% per additional level of experience, of forming a permanent bond with a single Pegasus. Both must be willing (thus the percentage), and if they are, the bond is equal to the Familiar Link spell. 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 10, MA 12, P.S. 25, P.P. 18, P.E. IS, P.B. 22, Spd 30, 100 Flying. Hit Points: P.E. x the level ofthe Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural A.R.: 10, +1 at levels 4,8, 12 and 15. Bonuses: +2 to initiative, + I to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punch/fall, +4 to dodge in flight and + I on all sav­ ing throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Attacks per Melee Roul!<!: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Note: The Pegasus can fly and carry up to two human size riders. Damage is per Supernatural Strength, bite is 2D4 S.D.C. 74-82% Seth the Tri-Fang - October 23 November 21 The Tri-Fang is the symbol of cunning and guile. Most Zodiac Mages born under the sign of Seth tend to be malicious and cruel and show a viciousness in combat or when confronting a foe. Although Zodiac Mages can be of any alignment, those born under Seth tend to be Miscreant or Diabolic. I. Instinctively knows the following skills; Prowl and Use & Recognize Poisons (+10%). 2. +2 to save vs poison. 3. +ID4 to P.P. attribute, and at level six they receive Automatic Dodge. 4. Summon 1D4 Worms ofTaut for one hour per level of experience. This may be limited by location, as the Worms are called and not magically transported to the mage. 5. Can select one of the following Wizard spells per level of experience: Blinding Flash (1), Blind (8), Charm (12), Circle of Concealment (15 or 100), Cloud of Smoke (2), Chameleon (3), Concealment (6), Detect Poison (10), Fool's Gold (10), Horrific Illusion (l0), Impervious to Poison (5), Invisibility: Simple (6), Negate PoisonsiToxins (5), Paralysis: Lesser (5), Reduce Self (20), Shadow Meld (10) or Swords to Snakes (50). 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attribll~s: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, M.A. 8, P.S. 21, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, P.B. 12, Spd 25. Hit Points: P.E. x the level ofthe Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: 15; Nat­ ural A.R.: 10, + I at levels 4, 8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 5, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. !!onuse~: +3 to initiative, + I to strike, parry, +3 to auto dodge, + 1 to pull punch, and roll with punchifall and + 1 on all saving throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: Horror Factor: 15. Spit acid once per melee for 4D6 damage. Prowl at 45%. 83-91% Aster the Centaur November 22 - December 21 Many adventurers are born under the sign of the Centaur. They are free spirits who do not like to be tied dOV,l1. They crave the road and adventure, and have an insatiable curiosity. Aster is also the patron of the bow, and many Long Bowmen consider it good luck when his constellation can be seen in the night sky. 1. Instinctively knows the following skills: Tracking, Land Navigation (+10%) and W.P. Archery. 2. + 1 to P.P., + 1 to P .E. and +2 to initiative. 3. Instinctive sense of direction. Always knows which direction he is heading, even underground. 4. +2D6 S.D.C. 5. Can select one of the following spells per level of experience. There are none of the usual penalties for casting these spells: Cloud of Smoke (2), See the Invisible (4), Befuddle (6), Mystic Alarm (5), Invisibility: Simple (6), Resist Fire (3), Energy Field (10), Magic Net (7), Shadow Meld (10), Escape (8), Eyes of Thoth (8), Call Lightning (15), Fire Ball (10), Create Bread and Milk (15), and Magic Pigeon (20). 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attribute~: LQ. 9, M.E. 10, M.A. 8, P.S. 25, P.P. 18, P.E. 22, P.E. 12, Spd 30. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.C.: lD4xlO+15;NaturaIA.R.: 10,+1 at levels 4, 8, l2and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 4, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. J3onu~es: +1 on all saving throws, +1 to strike, parry, dodge, pull punch, and roll with punchifaU. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. I'!otes: Front hooves do 2D6 points of damage and rear do 4D6, or by weapon. The Centaur can carry a single rider. 92-00% Ghundeg, Od's Sword December 22 - January 19 Those with the sign of the Sword tend to be the warriors of the Zodiac Mages. They often take a more militant stand and 90

tend to think in tenns of absolutes, yet those born under Ghundeg lack the rashness and aggressiveness ofthose born under the sign of Red Hawk. Warriors born under Ghundeg tend to be Knights, Palladins, and officers in armies. 1. Instinctively knows Hand to Hand: Basic (but can upgrade to Expert at the cost of one O.C.c. Related Skill) and one W.P. of choice (typically Sword). 2. +1 to strike, parry and dodge. 3. +3D6 S.D.C. 4. +2 to save vs Horror Factor. 5. Can select one of the following spells per level of experience. Armor of Ithan (10), Befuddle (6), Call Lightning (15), Circle of Flame (10), Energy Bolt (5), Energy Field (10), Finger of Lictalon (150), Fire Ball (10), Fire Fist (15), Fire Bolt (10), Heal Self (20), Size of the Behemoth (12), Superhuman Speed (10), Superhuman Strength (10), Thunderclap (4), or Wind Rush (20). 6. Avatar's Abilities and Bonuses: Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 10, M.A. 8, P.S. 35, P.P. 24, P.E. 20, P.E. 12, Spd 20. Hit Points: P.E. x the level of the Zodiac Mage; S.D.c.: 15; Nat­ uralA.R.: 10,+1 at levels 4, 8, 12 and 15. Attacks per Melee Round: 5, plus one at levels 5, 10 and 15. Bonuses: + 1 to strike, +3 to parry, +1 dodge, pull punch, and roll with punchJfall and + 1 on all saving throws. Impervious to mind control and similar magical and psionic effects. Notes: Ghundeg is an eternally sharp (+3 to damage), floating sword that can defend all attacks leveled at the Zodiac Mage and is +3 to parry all such attacks (noted above under Bonuses). Parries do no damage, and Ghundeg only takes damage if specifically targeted. 2. Summon Zodiac Avatar: One of the more unique powers of the Zodiac Mage is their ability to summon their Zodiac A vatar. The Avatar is a magical construct that can fight alongside the Zodiac Mage. Because the duration is limited, at best they are fighting companions, although they could do a number of limited tasks ifrequested. The magical construct looks exactly like many of the mythical drawings of the Avatars and seem to be made of flesh and blood (where applicable), albeit with a slight magical glow that is very noticeable at night. All are roughly the same size as what they depict, so the Dragon will be the size of an adult Great Horned Dragon, while Ghundeg will appear as the size of a normal broadsword. The size can not be altered. The stats for each are provided above under each zodiac sign. All have Supernatural Strength unless otherwise indicated under damage. The Avatars require the Zodiac Mage to spend P.P.E. to summon them into being. It costs 10 P.P.E. to summon the Avatar for two melees per level of the caster. If done as a ritual, it costs 20 P.P.£. and the Avatar will stay for ten minutes per level of the caster. If summoned during the daylight hours it costs twice the P.P.E. 3. Common Knowledge Spells: The Zodiac Mage begins apprenticeship like a Wizard and has the following spells: Decipher Magic, Sense Magic, Globe ofDaylight, Tongues and four Star Spells selected from levels 1 to 3. Zodiac Mages do not learn the Magic Cauldron, as they consider it a disgusting ritual only used by Necromancers and greedy Wizards. 4. Learning New Spells: The Zodiac Mage can learn or purchase any Star Spell without limitation. At each level of experience they can figure out/learn one Star Spell up to their current level of experience. Wizard spells can also be sought out, but are limited as explained below. The Zodiac Mage is similar to a common Wizard in that their spells are invocations, but they are a different type of invocation. Consequently, as experts in Star Magic they suffer when learning and casting other conventional spells. Unlike a Wizard, who can learn any invocation spell, the Zodiac Mage is limited to spells no more than one level higher than their current level of experience. This means a first level Zodiac Mage can only learn other spells oflevel one or two. When they become second level they can learn spells up to third level, and so on. The only exception is if they have a selection of spells under their zodiac sign, and then they can learn any of those without restriction. Additionally, the Zodiac Mage must spend 50% more P.P.E. to cast typical invocation spells (round up). This does not include spells listed under their specific zodiac sign. Many Zodiac Mages can cast Elemental spells. These spells are not invocations, but rather spells that are more instinctual like those cast by a Warlock. Consequently, they cannot teach these spells to others, or record the spell invocations for others to figure out. 5. Sign of the Zodiac: Zodiac Mages are at their most powerful when their sign is directly overhead in the night sky. This happens during the dates designated next to each sign. During their sign's time, all Zodiac Mages receive the following bonuses: The penalty for casting during the day is gone, which means the Zodiac Mage is at full power during the day. At dusk, when the stars appear, until dawn, the Zodiac Mage is even more powerful. They receive a +1 bonus to Spell Strength, can summon their Zodiac Avatar for one hour at no P.P.E. cost (to keep it longer requires the expenditure ofP.P.E.), and they have an additional ID6x1O P.P.E. to draw on per day. This extra energy is only temporary, and once spent requires a 24 hour period before it becomes available again. The amount always varies per day, and Game Masters should roll to detennine it. 6. See and Use Ley Lines: Same as a Wizard. 7. Spell Casting Penalties: Zodiac Mages are strongest at night when the stars are shining. They are weakest during the daylight hours, and their spells are cast at half strength. Duration, damage, range and all effects are halved. Furthennore, Zodiac Mages do not automatically gain any of the Wizard special skills and abilities initially. If they want to learn these abilities, they must sacrifice an O.C.c. Related Skill for each one. This includes Ley Line Drifting, Ley Line Rejuvenation, Recognize Enchantment, and Recognize Magic. 8. Magic Bonuses: +1 to save vs magic at levels four, eight, twelve and fifteen. Spell Strength (the number others must save against when the character casts a spell): + 1 at levels three, six, nine, twelve and fifteen. 9. P.P.E.: As a practitioner of magic, the Zodiac Mage is a living battery of mystic energy. The character draws from this energy to create magic and cast spells. Permanent P.P.E. Base: 91

3D4x1O, in addition to the P.E. attribute number. Add 2D6 P.P.E. per each level of experience, starting at level one. The Zodiac Mage can also draw on P.P.E. from ley lines, nexus points, and other people whenever they are available. Zodiac Mage O.C.C. Alignments: Any, and may be influenced by their zodiac sign. Attribute Requirements: This class was exclusive to the Elves before and during the Elf-Dwarf War. Because so few Zodiac Mages were left after the Elf-Dwarf War, Elves stated taking on human and W olfen apprentices. Even today they are relatively unknown and are thought to be nothing more than a myth of a bygone era. Those who become apprentices must have an LQ. and M.E. of 13 or higher. The Zodiac Mage spends years studying and needs high intelligence as well as mental discipline. D.C.C. Skills: Language: Native at 98% plus two additional languages of choice (+20% each). Literacy: Two languages of choice (+ 15%). Astrology (+20%) Lore: Zodiac. This is a complete knowledge and understand­ ing of the Palladium Zodiac. It includes constellation loca­ tions, the dates and times they are at their peek, and the meaning of each zodiac sign. It also includes a broad under­ standing of how the zodiac is perceived by the various races and cultures around the Palladium World. Lore: One of choice (+15%). Astronomy and Navigation (+20%) Fortune Telling. Using the signs of the zodiac, the Zodiac Mage can tell the fortunes of others. There is often some per­ formance involved to give the customer a bit of a show. Styles vary, but the results are the same. On a successful roll, the Zodiac Mage has provided an accurate and believable fortune. On a failed roll, the fortune is vague and generic. Base skill is 20% +6% per additional level of experience. If the Performance skill is chosen, add +5% bonus to Fortune Telling. Mathematics: Basic (+20%) Mathematics: Advanced (+10%) W.P.: One of choice. Hand to Hand: Basic can be selected at the cost of one O.C.c. Related Skill, or Hand to Hand: Expert for the cost of two. Martial Arts and Assassin are not available for this O.c.c. Most Zodiac Mages disdain physical combat, however as the Elf-Dwarf War progressed, more found it necessary to be able to protect themselves in close quarters combat. D.C.C. Related Skills: Select 6 other skills of choice at level one, plus select two additional skills at levels three and seven, and one at levels nine and twelve. All new skills start at level one proficiency. Communications: Any (+10%). Domestic: Any (+5%). Espionage: Forgery and Intelligence only (+5%). Horsemanship: General or Exotic only. Medical: Biology and First Aid only (+10%). Military: Surveillance only. Physical: Any; except Acrobatics, Gymnastics, Boxing & Wrestling. Rogue: Any, Prowl (+ 10%) due to their night owl nature. Science: Any (+ 10%). Scholar/Technical: Any (+ 1 0%). Weapon Proficiencies: Any except Large Axes, Pole Arms and Lances. Wilderness: Any. Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select four Secondary Skills from the previous list at level one, and two additional skills at levels two, five, nine and thirteen. These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantages of the bonus listed in the parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill level. Also, skills are limited (any, only, none) as previously indicated in the list. Starting Equipment: Two sets of clothing, a robe or cloak with a hood, boots, a pair of soft leather gloves, belt, bedroll, backpack, a medium-sized to large purse/satchel, two small sacks, a water skin, 2D4 sheets of parchment paper, a 100 page notebook, two crow quill pens, two bottles of ink (each may be a different color), ID4 sticks of graphite, ID4 sticks of chalk, lD4 candles, a wooden cross, small mirror, tinder box, a simple, hand drawn star map (typically the character's own observations), a compass and sextant for making star calculations, and a very small, portable telescope. The telescope only has 5 times the normal magnification and is roughly equal to modem-day binoculars. The value varies between 500 and 2,000 gold pieces. Armor: Starts with soft leather (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 20). Weapons: A knife and one additional weapon of choice. Both are basic S.D.C. weapons of good quality. Magic weapons and additional items must be acquired later. Money: Starts with 3D4xlO gold. The character can also sell his or her services to others to make additional gold. Fortune telling often costs one gold for an average person. People who appear to have money or are nobility often are charged 5 to 10 gold, but then the Zodiac Mage makes sure to put on an exceptional performance. Zodiac Mages are also excellent navigators and can command good to fair prices on sea vessels. They can expect to make from 1,000 to 3,000 gold per voyage. Star Magic Star Magic is one of those rare and obscure branches ofWizardry that was at its height during the Elf-Dwarf War. It was used with deadly efficiency to wipe out scores of Dwarven ground troops and their siege engines with deadly results. Unfortunately, this unique branch of magic would also meet its demise during the war, and most of the text written on the subject would be subsequently wiped out during the Millennium of Purification. If more than a dozen texts on the subject exist then they are either hidden away at the Library of Bletherad, in the hands of some private collection, or sitting in some Elven ruin waiting to be discovered. 92

Perhaps one of the reasons why the magic did not survive to modern day was its inherent flaw. The magic requires a night sky, full of stars, in order to be effective! Perhaps it's part of the belief of the caster, or maybe it's a part ofthe mystic component of casting Star Magic. Whatever the case, the following spells are only effective from dusk till dawn, while there are stars visible in the sky. Strangely, overcast conditions do not hinder this magic for some reason. Other Spells Applicable to Star Magic The following spells would fall into the Star Magic category and are available to all Zodiac Mages. Levell Blinding Flash (1) Globe ofDaylight (2) Level 4 Fire Bolt (10) Level 7 Ballistic Fire (2S) LevellO Meteor (7S) Star Magic Spells by Level Levell Moonlight (4) Star Flare (3) Level 2 Star Daze (13) Star Sight (8) Level 3 North Star (10) Nova Flare (16) Spinning Stars (10) Star Flash (IS) Star Dust (12) Level 5 Rising Star (20+) Star Shield (1S) Wish Upon a Star (1S) Level 6 Lunar Armor (20) Shooting Stars (2S) Fist Full of Stars (IS) Star Fire (2S) Star Messenger (20) Star Sign (10/20/30) Level 7 Blazing Star (2S) Healing Moon Beam (30) Lunar Barrier (2S) Lunar Confinement (30) Moon Blade (2S) Wall ofStars (30) LevelS Lunar Beam (3S) Lunar Discs (30) Star Struck (30/90) Level 9 Star Blade (4S) Levell5 Lunar Eclipse (1,SOO) Nova Sphere of Destruction (400) Portal of Stars (200/800) Solar Eclipse (2,SOO) Spells of Legend Storm ofFalling Stars (3,000) Levell Moonlight Range: Up to 30 feet (9.1 m) away plus S feet (1.5 m) per addi­ tionallevel of experience. Illuminates up to a 10 foot (3 m) area plus 2 feet (0.6 m) area per additional level of experience. Duration: S minutes per level of experience. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 4 Similar to the Globe of Daylight spell, this spell creates a globe of pure moonlight. The light is subdued and not as intense as daylight, but is light enough to read by or do activities that require light to do. The brightness is equal to a clear night with the full moon at its zenith. While it will not repel vampires, ereatures vulnerable to silver will not cross into the light and will stay just outside its perimeter. When the moonlight appears it has an initial Horror Factor of 12 to these creatures. Star Flare Range: 300 feet (91 m), plus 20 feet (6.1 m) per level of experi­ ence. Duration: Four melees plus 1 additional melee per level of the caster. Damage: None, even if intentionally directed at someone. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 3 The easter is able to launch a flare into the night sky. Once it reaches its maximum height, the flare begins to slowly drift back to the earth. This is typically used as a signal to others or 93

possibly a distraction. It can also light up a small area that is equal to a 50 foot (15.2 m) radius per level of the caster. The flare has the disadvantage of disrupting those with nightvision. Anyone who looks at the flare, or is in the area of effect, loses their nightvision for the duration of the spell plus ID4 melees afterward. Level 2 Star Daze Range: 100 feet (30 m) away plus 20 feet (6.1) per additional level of experience. The spell targets a 20 foot (6.1 m) area per level ofthe caster. Duration: One melee per level ofthe caster. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 13 The stars in the sky begin to move in a hypnotic dance that is very distracting. Those who are affected have a hard time taking their eyes away from the dancing stars and are -2 to initiative, strike, parry and dodge, and -1 attack. Those that save are unaffected. Star Sight Range: Self or others by touch. Visibility is 90 feet (27.4 m). Duration: Five minutes per level of experience. Saving Throw: Standard ifresisted. P.P.E.: 8 This spell is primarily for non-Elves. The spell allows the Zodiac Mage or others to see like Elves with a range of 90 feet (27.4 m). The catch is there must be starlight or even a sliver of the moon for the spell to be totally effective. The spell does works on cloudy nights, but at half its normal range. Level 3 North Star Range: Line ofsight. Duration: One night (12 hours). Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 10 Zodiac Mages are experts in astronomy, and on a clear night can always find a star to guide them by. This spell enhances that ability by providing a star to follow even under less than ideal conditions. If the mage is lost or is going to a known destination, or at least has a general direction, the North Star spell will guide him to this location, as the star acts like a bright beacon. All the Zodiac Mage has to do is travel in the direction of the star. The only drawback with this spell is that all within a 20 mile (32 km) radius of the Zodiac Mage have a chance to notice the bright star indicating the direction that the mage is heading. The spell ends at the first signs of dawn, but it can be cast during the day. The beacon is faint, but can be seen, though it only lasts for six hours. Nova Flare Range: 1,000 feet (305), plus 100 feet (30 m) per additional level of experience. Duration: 2 minutes per level ofthe caster. Damage: None, but disrupts nightvision. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 16 Similar to Star Flare, this spell launches a massive flare into the sky. Once the flare reaches its apex, it blooms into a huge glowing sphere, roughly 100 feet (30 m) in diameter. The glowing sphere lights up roughly a I mile (1.6 km) area. Several Nova Flares can turn the night into day and completely light up a battlefield. This is perfect for nighttime engagements, however it does disrupt nightvision in the surrounding area for the entire duration and ID4 minutes after leaving its effects. Spinning Stars Range: 30 feet (9.1 m), plus 10 feet (3 m) per additional level of experience. Duration: One melee round per level of experience. Damage: ID4 per level ofthe caster, per Spinning Star. Saving Throw: Dodge only. P.P.E.: 10 The mage is able to sununon forth a handful of small shuriken-like stars that can be thrown with deadly accuracy. He can throw one star per each melee attack. The stars are +3 to strike and the damage of the stars increases with the level of the caster. The mage has as many stars as he has attacks per melee. The stars can not be handed off to others, and all remaining stars disappear at the end of the spell's duration. Star Flash Range: 50 feet (I5 m) away per level to a 20 foot (6.1 m) ra­ dius. Duration: One melee per level ofexperience. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 15 Star Flash is similar to the Wizard incantation Blinding Flash, only this spell has mUltiple flashes at about half the power of a Blinding Flash. Unlike Blinding Flash, this spell continues to flash for several melees (depending on the caster's level), and can be quite distracting. Those who fail to save will find that they are -3 on initiative, strike, parry and dodge. The spell also disrupts nightvision, making it useless. Those who save are only -Ion initiative until they leave the effects of the spell. It should be noted that creatures with vulnerabilities to sunlight do not suffer any additional effects, as the flashes are starlight and not sunlight. Star Dust Range: Up to 50 feet (15 m) away, affecting a 10 foot (3 m) area per level of experience. 94

Duration: Two melees, plus one per level of experience, or one hour per level of experience if used for its second application. Saving Throw: None, but if a foe knows it's coming it can be dodged with 15 or higher. Normal dodge bonuses apply. P.P.E.: 12/24 Upon completion of the incantation a cloud of glowing star dust falls over the designated location. The dust sticks to all foes in the area. Invisible foes are immediately revealed. It also sticks and glows to those who aren't invisible and makes them easily visible at night. Instead of covering invisible foes, the Zodiac Mage can use Star Dust to create a glowing trail. In this version a handful of dust appears in the mage's hand and he can sprinkle it on the ground or on objects. If used sparingly the mage can make a mile (1.6 km) long trail or use it to spell out a 30 word warning or message. LevelS Rising Star Range: Selfonly. Duration: One melee, plus one additional per every three levels ofthe caster beyond level one (so two melees at level four, three melees at level seven, and so on). Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 20 plus the cost ofthe spell. "Rising Star" is an old metaphor used by Elves to indicate that you have angered them or are about to incur their wrath. This spell modifies an already cast spell, or can be cast in conjunction with another Star Magic spell. The effects can be deadly, as Rising Star allows the Zodiac Mage to supercharge his spells with magic energy, increasing certain spell effects by 50% (only damage, range or S.D.C.) for a limited duration. For example, if cast with Lunar Armor, the S.D.C. is increased by 50% for one melee, or if used with a Fist Full of Stars, damage or range can be increased by 50% for a short time. Rising Star is meant for offensive and defensive spells, and has no effect on certain spells like Wish Upon a Star or North Star. Game Masters should round down on any fractions. The Zodiac Mage must also use caution when casting this spell. While the effects are powerful, they last for a limited duration and are costly when it comes to P.P.E. For example, to cast Rising Star and Lunar Armor, the Lunar Armor must have already been cast, or cast in conjunction with Rising Star, thereby increasing the casting time as if two spells were cast. Also, the P.P.E. cost in this example would be 40 P.P.E.; 20 for the initial casting of Lunar Armor, plus 20 for the Rising Star spell. Star Shield Range: Self only. Duration: Two minutes per level ofthe caster. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 15 When this spell is cast, three star-shaped shields appear and circle around the mage. The shields are fast and attempt to parry all incoming attacks, providing a +5 to parry. This even applies to sneak attacks that the mage might not be aware of. The shields can also parry spell attacks such as Call Lightning or Fire Ball, but must beat a modified 20 with the roIL The shields parry automatically without concentration required from the mage. There is one drawback to this, however. Allies who try to touch or hand things to the mage will also be parried, as the shields can't tell friend from foe. The caster must concentrate for one melee action to keep the shields still, during which time he can take no other actions. Wish Upon a Star Range: Self or two by touch. Duration: One hour. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 15 Wishing upon a star is part of Elven folklore that goes back to a time even before the Elf-Dwarf War. It is believed to have stemmed from an old Elven blessing. When this spell is cast, the recipient gains one of the following bonuses, determined by the mage when casting: +2 to initiative and + I to strike. +1 to save vs magic. +I to save vs psionics. +3 to save vs Horror Factor. +l to parry and dodge. Level 6 Lunar Armor Range: Selfor two by touch. Duration: Two minutes per level ofthe mage. Saving Throw: Standard for those who don't want the armor. P.P.E.: 20 This spell creates a translucent suit of full plate armor that glows like a full moon. The armor has 100 S.D.C., plus 10 S.D.C. per additional level of the caster, and has an Armor Rating of 18. (The armor has 100 M.D.C. in Rifts.) The armor has astounding regenerative abilities and 5 S.D.C. per level of the caster is restored per melee, and this is doubled when there is a full moon! In addition to the armor regenerating, the recipient also regenerates lost S.D.C. and Hit Points while in this armor. He or she is healed ID6 S.D.C. or Hit Points per melee (Hit Points are healed first). On the other hand, during a new moon, the armor and the individual do not regenerate at all. Because of the glow of the armor, the Prowl skill is almost useless, and is considered to be at -30%. Shooting Stars Range: 100 feet (30 m) per level of experience, affecting a 5 foot (1.5 m) radius per level of experience. Duration: Instant. Damage: ID6+1 per level of experience (2D6+2 at level 2, 3D6+3 at level 3, etc.). If concentrated on a structure, like a cas95

tIe wall, or a siege weapon, damage is multiplied by five' (Damage is M.D.C. in high magic environments like Rifts Earth.) Saving Throw: Dodge of 15 or higher for half damage, or 19 or higher for no damage. P.P.E.: 25 Mini meteors, no bigger than the size of an orange, rain from the sky, striking aU targets in the affected area. This is an excel­ .Ient spell to pelt large groups like troop formations. The meteors hit all targets in the area, causing them to scatter. It is especially useful against siege engines and strucrures. The mini meteors have a 01-30% chance of setting combustibles on fire . Fist Full of Stars Range: 800 feet (244 m) plus 100 feet (30 m) per additional level of experience. Duration: Instant. Damage: 106 per level of experience to all within a 10 foot (3 m) radius per level of the caster. Saving Throw: Dodge of 12 or higher. P.P.E.: 15 The Zodiac Mage raises his hand into the air and seems to scoop up a handful of stars, forming a ball of swirling stars. He then hurls this ball at a foe (+3 to strike). When the Fist Full of Stars strikes, it explodes into glass-like shards, sending shrapnel in all directions, 10 feet (3 m) per level of experience. Star Fire Range: 500 feet (152 m), plus 100 feet (30 m) per additional level of experience. Damage is to a 5 foot (1.5 m) area, plus 2 feet (0.6 m) per level of experience. Duration: Instant. Damage: 506. +2 points per level of experience. Saving Throw: Dodge. P.P.E.: 25 The mage is able to summon forth a fiery bolt of intense plasma that is as hot as a star. Once the bolt strikes its target, it explodes, showering the area with white-hot fire. This spell is effect.ive for bombarding troops, and was often used as the equivalent of artillery. Star Messenger Range: Special, see text. Duration: One night per level of the caster. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 20 The Zodiac Mage is able to use a star to send a short message to just about anyone On Palladium. The range is unlimited, so long as one can see the star in question. When cast, the mage speaks hi s message whi Ie looking into the specific star chosen. At the completion of the spell, the star will begin to twinkle, and will do so until the intended recipient gazes at the star. Once he or she gazes at the star, the message will be delivered telepathically and the star wilJ stop twinkling. The recipient is not automatically notified that a message is "on hold" for him, but he does receive a bonus to Perception of + I for every two levels of 96

the caster. If the recipient is outside during the night the Perception Roll is a 12 or higher, modified by any Perception bonuses. No Perception Roll is needed if the message is expected. There is a drawback to this spell that the Elves did not learn about until nearly the end of the Elf-Dwarf War. While stars seem to twinkle all the time, Star Messengers are very noticeable to those who study the sky. If someone has Cryptography and thinks to study the pattern of the star's twinkling (extremely unlikely nowadays, but common during the Elf-Dwarf War once the Dwarves figured it out), the message can be intercepted and deciphered, unbeknownst to the sender and recipient. Star Sign Range: Limited to the night sky. Duration: One night only. Saving Throw: None, but does require Perception to spot, see text below. P.P.E.: 10/20/30 The mage is able to create a sign in the stars. The sign can be something as simple as spelling out his name using the stars, to short messages of up to 10 words in length, or even pictures and symbols. It all depends on the mage. To create pictures and symbols, the mage should at least have Art as a skill, otherwise the meaning of the sign may be lost. The Zodiac Mage can make the sign easy or difficult to spot in the night sky. For the minimum amount of P.P.E. the sign is rather obvious, composed of the brightest stars in the sky and easily seen by those who are not trained in Astronomy. The Perception Roll required to spot this is 8 for those untrained and 6 for those trained in Astronomy. To make the sign a little more difficult to spot, the mage can spend 20 P.P.E., which will make it so that only a trained Astronomer (i.e. has the Astronomy and Navigation skill) is likely to spot the sign. The Perception Roll for those untrained becomes 12, or 10 for a trained Astronomer. For 30 P.P.E., the sign is all but invisible, blended in with the remaining stars. A trained Astronomer who knows what he is looking for needs a Perception Roll of 14 or higher, otherwise it's a 16 to come across it by chance, while those who are untrained require a modified 20 or higher. Zodiac Mages use this spell for many things. Typically it is meant to send a quick message, or used in their fortune telling. Sometimes to add credibility to their fortune they would tell the recipient to look for a specific sign in the sky, and 10 and behold, the sign would be in the sky the evening the customer had his or her fortune read. Of course, anyone can see the sign in the sky if they look long enough. Level7 Blazing Star Range: Self or two others by touch. Duration: Ten minutes per level of the spell caster. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 25 The Zodiac Mage is bestowed with the power of flight, but it is not like the fme control one has with Fly as the Eagle. The mage is engulfed in a large, fiery aura that makes him look like a blazing star. He takes off across the sky like a rocket, with an impressive speed of 100 miles per hour (160 kIn), plus 25 mph (40 kIn) per additional level of experience. The mage can make minor course corrections, but like a speeding rocket he is pretty much limited to one direction once chosen. When the spell ends or the mage decides to land, he crashes into the ground, making a small crater. There is no damage to the mage, or to others around the cmsh site, even from some of the debris that is thrown out ofthe crater. Healing Moon Beam Range: Affects everyone within a 5 foot radius (1.5 m) per level of the caster. Duration: One melee per 30 P.P.E. spent. Damage: None normally, but Shadow Beasts and creatures of shadow take 4D6 points of damage direct to Hit Points per me­ lee. Saving Throw: Standard if unwanted. P.P.E.: 30 per melee. Many cultures have worshiped the moon, claiming it has healing powers, while others insist it causes insanity. The Zodiac Mage is able to harness the former and channel the energy into a healing beam that can heal multiple people at once. Of course, the beam does not distinguish between friend and foe. The Healing Moon Beam restores 4D6 Hit Points/S.D.C. per melee to everyone within the radius of the beam. The Zodiac Mage can pump additional P.P.E. to increase the duration of the beam in a single casting. A side effect of this spell is the damage it does to Shadow Beasts, and other creatures from the Plane of Shadows. If caught within the beam, they take 4D6 points of damage direct to Hit Points on a failed saving throw. If they save, they only receive half damage to S.D.C. The beam will keep all Shadow Beasts at bay beyond the range ofthe beam. Lunar Barrier Range: 30 feet (9.1 m) per level of the caster. Creates a wall 5 feet (1.5 m) high, by 5 feet (1.5 m) long, by 2 feet (0.6 m) thick, per level of the caster. Duration: Three minutes per level of experience. Damage: Special, see below. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 25 This spell creates a barrier composed of moonlight. Its primary purpose was to keep creatures of shadow at bay, such as Shadow Beasts and Shadow Casters. These beings are -1 to save against this spell, and suffer damage and debilitating effects if they tty to pass through it. The wall is not solid, and anyone can pass through it, but doing so requires a saving throw. Any who fail are blinded for ID6 melees. Shadow Beasts and Shadow Casters are not only blinded if they fail to save, but aJso suffer ID6 points of damage per level of the caster for passing through the barrier. An unintended side effect of the spell is that it lights up a 20 foot (6.1 m) area around the barrier per level of the caster. Fur97

thennore, anyone passing through the wall is easily seen and lit up for all to see. Lunar Confinement Range: 10 feet (3 m) away per level of the caster and creates a beam 3 feet (0.9 m) in diameter per level. Duration: One minute per level ofthe caster. Damage: None. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 30 The caster calls upon the moon to shine a single beam down on a specific individual or area. Those caught in the beam must make a standard saving throw or be trapped within the beam. The beam only confines and does not immobilize its victims. The size of the beam increases with the level of the caster, and has a 3 foot (0.9 m) diameter per level, so at first level it's only large enough to capture one human-sized individual. Giant races are not affected until the caster is 5th level or higher. Dispel Magic Barriers will counter Lunar Confinement, but the Escape spell will not. The beam is indestructible and can not be smashed, but it can be teleported through. Moon Blade Range: Self only. Duration: Two minutes per level of experience. Damage: ID6 per level ofthe caster. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 25 The caster is able to conjure a sword composed of pure moonlight. The blade is perfectly balanced to the user and provides a bonus of + 1 to strike and parry. The spell can create any type of sword, but one-handed long swords seem to be the preference among Elves. It is believed that this spell was created to counter the Shadesword spell used by Shadow Casters. When these two swords come in contact they cancel each other out; there is no saving throw, and both swords are gone. Wall of Stars Range: Can be castup to 50 feet (15 m) away plus 10 feet (3 m) per additional level of experience. The wall is 5x5x5 feet (1.5x1.5x1.5 m) per level of experience. Duration: 3 minutes per level of experience. Damage: 6D6 S.D.C.lHit Points per 5 feet (1.5 m) traveled through the wall. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 30 The Zodiac Mage is able to conjure forth a wall of stars. The wall appears like the night sky, and those who fail a Perception Roll of 12 or higher may unknowingly run into the wall and suffer the damage of a thousand spinning stars. The stars are like tiny spinning blades and are impossible to dodge if one runs through the wall. A Dispel Magic Barriers spell will instantly negate the Wall of Stars. Level 8 Lunar Beam Range: 1,000 (305 m) feet, plus 100 feet (30 m) per level of ex­ perience. Duration: Instant. Damage: 6D6 +2 points per level of experience. Saving Throw: Dodge of a modified 20 or higher. P.P.E.: 35 The Zodiac Mage uses the power of the moon to direct a powerful blast of lunar energy at a foe. First, at least a half moon or more must be in the sky, and in the first attack while the spell is being cast, a moon beam points at the intended target. Moments later the blast hits the indicated target full on, so foes do have a chance to dodge the powerful blast. Shadow Beasts and creatures from the Plane of Shadows take double damage. This spell will work during the daylight hours if the moon is out, but only at half range and damage. The moon is typically visible during the morning and evening hours ofthe day. The spell does not work when there is a new moon, or anything less than a half moon (which is about a week before and a week after the new moon). Lunar Discs Range: 1,000 feet (305 m) +100 feet (30 m) per additional level of experience. Duration: Instant; discs last three melee rounds or until thrown. Damage: 406, +2 per level of experience. Saving Throw: Dodge of 16 or higher. P.P.E.: 30 This spell conjures up silver discs that glow like the moon. One disc is summoned at level one, and one addition disc for every two additional levels of the caster (one disc at levels one and two, two at levels three and four, three at levels five and six, and so on). Once summoned, the mage must throw all discs within three melees. One disc can be fired at a time (one per attack), or two if the caster has Paired Weapons. The discs strike unerringly and slice as deeply as any blade. Damage is 4D6, +2 per level of the caster, per blade. The blades are so accurate that they will even ricochet off of solid surfaces to hit their target (can ricochet offofone surface per level ofthe caster). Star Struck Range: Touch or 15 feet (4.6 m) for one individual, or a 30 foot (9.1 m) radius around the caster. Duration: Five minutes per level ofthe caster. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: 30 for one person, or 90 for all within the radius of the caster (up to 3 per level ofthe caster). Those who fail their saving throw see the caster not as an enemy, but as someone famous, like a notable celebrity or entertainer, a king or noble. As a result, people who are Star Struck will fumble over their words (spell casting is difficult and re98

quires a spell caster to make a successful roll on a D20 of 8 or better), and find it difficult to concentrate because they are in awe at being in the presence of someone so esteemed. Furthermore, the caster can ask those affected by the spell to perform minor things such as, "Go to the stable and water and groom my horse," or "Bring my bags to my room and draw me a bath for me, my good man," and so on. Those under the influence of the spell will not do anything that contradicts their alignment, and if asked to do such a thing, the spell is broken immediately. The duration ofthe task is limited to the duration of the spell. Additionally, those in combat will not attack the spell caster. They lose initiative and are -1 to strike, parry and dodge, and minus one attack, as they try to impress the spell caster with their prowess. The spell is broken should the caster attack the victim of the spell. The mage can target a specific individual, or all within the radius are affected, including allies. Level 9 Star Blade Range: Selfonly. Duration: One minute per level of the caster. Damage: 4D6 + 1 per level of experience against mortals, and ID6xlO + 1 per level of experience against magical and super­ natural creatures. Saving Throw: Special, see below. P.P.E.: 45 This spell enchants an ordinary blade, making it extremely powerful. When the spell is cast the sword takes on an obsidian hue with the night sky reflected in the blade. Mortals who take damage from this blade need to make a saving throw vs Horror Factor of 12 plus the caster's Spell Strength bonuses, if any. For a failed save, the victim either flees the area for ID6 minutes (01-45% chance) or continues to fight, but does so at half his combat bonuses (strike, parry and dodge). The defender must make a saving throw every time he is struck. If he fails again there is the same chance that he will flee the area, but the combat penalties are not cumulative. Level 15 Lunar Eclipse (Ritual) Range: 10 mile (16 km) radius centered on the caster. Duration: Limited to 1 hour, once per month. Damage: None. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 1,500 Zodiac Mages were once considered masters of the night sky. At the conclusion of an hour long ritual this spell is able to cause a full lunar eclipse. This is when, at night, the moon darkens as the Palladium World passes in front of it. While the moon is darkened, none of the "Lunar" Star Magic spells will work, but the darkened sky reveals hundreds ofthousands of stars, bolstering the Zodiac Mage's remaining spells. During the one hour duration, the moon is completely dark and the Zodiac Mage gains the following: • All Zodiac Mages within a 10 mile (16 km) radius are +l to Spell Strength. • All Zodiac Mages within range temporarily have access to ID6x1O additional P.P.E. • Ranges, durations, damages and all spell effects are doubled for the duration. • The Zodiac Avatar can be summoned for the entire duration at no P.P.E. cost. The spell will automatically fail if tried a second time before one lunar month, the time it takes the moon to make one revolution. Nova Sphere of Destruction Range: 500 feet (152 m), plus 100 feet (30 m) per level of expe­ rience. Affects all targets in a 50 foot (15 m) radius. Duration: Instant. Damage: ID6xl00 S.D.C. to a 50 foot (15 m) radius. Saving Throw: Dodge, individuals are +3. P.P.E.: 400 One of the more destructive magicks for its time, this spell was the bane of fortifications, cities, and large troop formations. The caster is able to summon forth a brightly glowing sphere the size of a basketball. It hovers at the mage's side for up to a melee, at which point the mage must direct the sphere towards a target or it disappears. Once launched, it speeds towards the target like a caunonball, and when it strikes, the Nova Sphere explodes, damaging all targets within its range. Individuals can easily dodge this sphere of destruction because they will see it coming. The spell is intended for immobile targets such as castle walls and various types of battlefield artillery. Portal of Stars Range: 500 miles (800 km) per level ofthe caster. Duration: One melee round. Saving Throw: Standard. P.P.E.: Varies; self only, plus 50 pounds (22.5 kg) per level of the caster, is only 200 P.P.E. For up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) per level of the caster, it costs 800 P.P.E. When cast, stars from the sky begin to spin and swirl in front of the mage, creating a gateway to the mage's intended destination. This gateway does not last long, and th.e mage must quickly step though it before it closes. All the same conditions of the Teleport: Superior spell apply. Solar Eclipse (Ritual) Range: lO mile (16 km) radius centered on the caster. Duration: Limited to I hour, once per month. Damage: None. Saving Throw: None. P.P.E.: 2,500 Zodiac Mages are at their weakest during the day, at least when it comes to spell casting. Causing a solar eclipse (when 99